Zordon of Eltar
by John Evans
Summary: A prequel to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This story chronicles Zordon's struggle against Ivan Ooze as well as Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. This is my attempt to make the continuity of Power Rangers make sense.
1. Prologue

**Zordon of Eltar: **

**Book I The Ooze War**

**By John Evans**

**Prologue**

Most sentient beings in the galaxy knew the name Zordon of Eltar. For hundreds of thousands of years his name was synonymous with the forces of good. Many throughout the galaxy saw Zordon as a noble figure, always steadfast, wise, and never wavering.

No one knew that inside, Zordon was the same as any sentient being. He had not always been the noble master that many saw him to be. Over the course of his long life he had been a lover as well as a warrior. He had managed great triumphs, but also suffered massive defeats. He had felt joy, love, anger, fear, confusion, and sadness. He had made terrible mistakes that had resulted in some dear friends suffering terrible and painful deaths.

Now Zordon stared through the glass of the portable life giving tube that imprisoned his essence. He saw before him the young Andross, a man who Zordon was proud to call a Power Ranger. Zordon had watched Andross for most of his life on K-0-35, including the loss of his sister Karone to the evil Dark Specter. Zordon had also watched with pride as Andross joined with the Power Rangers of Earth to form a truly impressive fighting force. He was a fine leader and a strong warrior. Zordon felt honored that it would be this Andross who would carry out his final order.

Zordon knew that is was time for him to die. As hard to admit as that was, he knew that it must be done. This war on evil had been ongoing for countless millennia and now it was time for it all to end at last. As Zordon gave Andross the instructions to break his energy tube with his spiral saber, he could feel the wave of doubt coming off of the Red Ranger.

The various rangers throughout the years had always seen him as a strong and all knowing figure. He often wondered what they would think, had they been able to see him as he truly was; his wasted, shriveled body hanging lifeless in a time warp, stuck in a moment in time where injuries were causing his body to die.

He always hated how others were forced to take up a battle that he himself was too weak to fight. Despite his doubts and insecurities in the face of impending death, Zordon forced himself to be strong for Andross' sake.

For ten thousand years he had been away from the battle. For ten thousand years he had watched others wage the war that he himself had begun. But now, at long last, it was time for him to return to the battlefield. In one glorious moment he would burst forth from the time warp that had housed him for ten millennia and finally finish this long, bloody, terrible war.

He could feel the weight of his words sinking into Andross and could almost see the look of sadness on the red helmet covering the Ranger's face. All was almost lost when the evil Ecliptor ambushed Andross from behind. However the Red Ranger was able to break briefly from the battle to carry out Zordon's final wish. Andross raised his spiral saber and swung the most painful attack he had ever thrown in his relatively short life.

It has been said that at the moment a being dies, their entire life flashes before their eyes. This old adage proved true for Zordon of Eltar. The great leader took one final deep breath, and then he closed his eyes and saw it all one more time.


	2. Chapter 1: Eltar

**Chapter One: Eltar**

Eltar was a small thriving world located on the side of the galaxy opposite Earth. It was a beautiful, peaceful world of artists and philosophers. The people of Eltar were content and happy with the lives they led. They were a noble, powerful race with a lifespan lasting for hundreds of Earth millennia.

Eltarians were often identified by their soft facial features, silver hair, and deep crystal blue eyes. Their physical features aside, Eltarians were also known for the astonishing power they commanded. Eltarians held a mastery of planetary magics and shared the unique ability to use their own inner power to float and propel themselves through the air in powerful and fast flight. Despite Eltarians' great power, they were pacifists who always kept to themselves and seldom left their home world.

Eltar was a world of serene beauty. It was a bright and shining blue and white pearl dropped into the blackness of space. The soft blue grass spread across the mostly flat landscape leading into the crystalline blue oceans. There were no roads or cities. All homes on the planet were made of organic crystal formed into domes. They were very basic and were used only for sleeping and storing food and possessions. They shone brilliantly in the light of the twin suns which floated in the purple sky.

The greatest spectacle on the entire world of Eltar was the Great Crystal Palace. It was a vast light blue structure made entirely of crystals. The palace was built on a sharp angle and stretched up for miles, seemingly able to puncture the sky itself. It was in this place that the Council of El, the ruling body of Eltar, convened. The council was made up of the five oldest, wisest, and most powerful beings on Eltar.

The five of them stood silently in the highest room of the tower. The council's chamber was engulfed in pitch black darkness with the exception of five circles of light, arranged in a spherical pattern in which stood the members of the council. In the center of the circle there was another shaft of light which housed a complicated looking apparatus that hummed and would glow a pale white with various crystals jutting out at harsh angles.

Each council member was dressed simply in a white hooded robe. Normally the hoods would be covering their faces while addressing the public, however in this private meeting; they stood with their hoods removed, and each bore a solemn look on their face.

"Another star system has fallen to Ivan Ooze," a strong looking bald man named Jeton said. His bushy silver eyebrows were raised and his wrinkled face took on a youthful look of passion. "Soon Ivan will turn his attention on Eltar; of this I am certain. With each day that passes, his empire continues to grow."

"I do not agree with your statement," an elderly female named Kreion said sternly. Of the five council members, she was the lone female. "Even Ivan Ooze, with all of his power, would never dare to attack Eltar."

"Besides," an old male named Malon said. "Ivan just barely holds that empire of his together." He gestured towards the crystal apparatus in the center. "Behold the viewing globe." The machine began to hum and a translucent globe appeared over it. In the globe a vision of a small planet appeared.

"What's this?" Jeton asked.

"A planet called Earth," Malon replied. "It is an underdeveloped planet. The main race of sentients call themselves humans." The picture in the globe changed to show people built much the same as Eltarians. The planet's surface reeked of Ivan Ooze's presence. The sky was covered in purple clouds with matching streaks of lightning screeching out of them. These humans were dressed in purple rags. Their faces were covered with dirt and grime and they wore no shoes. They toiled endlessly under the guard of Ivan's purple Ooze soldiers, carrying rocks and large pieces of metal. "These people are weak and narrow minded, by all points and inferior race. Ivan has taken this planet and is using its people as a slave force in some large construction project. However despite taking the planet, Ivan's forces have yet to truly conquer it. Resistance factions and several ruling families are still free and openly oppose Ooze. Now, if a species so flawed and primitive can stand against Ivan's forces, how can they possibly hope to stand against a planet like Eltar?"

"Please Malon," Jeton said with a look of disgust, "to flaunt this doomed race before us as if they stood a chance of driving back Ivan's forces!" Jeton was becoming increasingly frustrated. This was not the first time the council had quarreled over this very issue. "We have to join this war and defend our brothers across the stars!"

"Ooze would not dare stand against us," Kreion said. "We are a powerful force to be reckoned with. Eltar could never fall to evil. Not only is the power of the eldest so strong, but the power of the younger ones continues to increase. Take young Zordon of the seventeenth sector as evidence of that."

A wave of uncertainty filled the room. The council had spoken at great length about this Zordon. Eltarians were born outside the womb; there were forty eight numbered sectors around the planet that housed great birthing machines. The fetuses would be taken from the mother's womb and grown to full maturity in a large liquid filled chamber. Every child on Eltar was virtually an orphan. There was no attachment to offspring and all children were raised in academies in their sectors.

Zordon was birthed into the seventeenth sector of Eltar. His education began like any other youth on the planet; however soon Zordon began to surpass all the other children. At first the council had paid him no mind, though soon, when the children began learning to control various magics, the gap between Zordon and the other students became astonishingly evident.

Young Zordon, from an early age, held a mastery of planetary magic, the likes of which had never been seen before on Eltar. While others needed to concentrate and use various complex incantations for the most simplistic spell, Zordon was able to conjure advanced complex spells with a mere thought. This had never been done before in the entire history of Eltar.

The Council of El had paid special attention to this youth. Over the years he had grown incredibly strong. He was unbeatable in the sparring circle; and there was not a being on the planet that could fly faster than him. His boyish cuteness had long ago become manly good looks which drew the attention of many females. He was truly the model that every Eltarian desired to be.

Despite his extraordinary abilities, Zordon remained very humble and kind. There was almost no one on the entire planet that had a single bad thing to say about the young adult. Kreion spoke again.

"It remains the majority decision of this council to maintain an isolationist approach to this conflict."

"But what of the youth of Eltar?" Jeton asked, his voice filling the chamber. "How do you think they feel?"

"We are the ones who make the decisions on Eltar," Malon said. "The youth are far too idealistic and dangerous to be allowed such weighty decisions."

"Well what of young Zordon?" Jeton demanded. "He is a youth who, you all know, possesses power an knowledge equal to or surpassing us all!" by now Jeton was raising his voice.

"You will be silent and respectful of your fellow council members!" Veron, another council member, bellowed.

"No Veron," Doran, the final elder, said. Doran was the head of the council and held the sacred white Staff of El. The staff possessed incredible magical power and was considered by many to be completely indestructible. "Jeton may have a point. Of all the youth, Zordon is by far the greatest. A seat on this council is most assuredly in his future. It might be in our best interest to gauge Zordon's reaction to this war that tears the universe around us to pieces."

"Very well," Veron said. "We shall send for Zordon and bring him before us."

The council put their hoods up and sent a telepathic message to Zordon of the seventeenth sector. The Council of El stood silently awaiting the arrival of the powerful young Eltarian, and underneath his hood, Jeton was smiling.


	3. Chapter 2: Zordon

**Chapter Two: Zordon**

The young Eltarian male named Zordon stood in the center of the dueling ring. The ring was a large circle made of white crystal on which Eltarians could safely pit themselves against one another in combat. The circle had a circumference of 100 feet and was surrounded by a translucent force field which prevented any magical attacks from escaping.

Combat within the dueling ring was not done out of malice but rather a desire to test one's skills against another. Zordon brushed a strand of long silver hair from his eyes and gave a half smile to his opponent.

"Are you smiling because you're happy, or because you have some new super secret technique you're about to show off?" Mackon, a young Eltarian with short spiky hair asked. Mackon and Zordon had been best friends since their first day at the academy in sector seventeen.

"Maybe I'm just really happy to show off this new technique," Zordon replied. "Can't it be that?" Mackon laughed.

"Yeah, yeah just show me what you have." Zordon smiled and charged in. Mackon tried to catch Zordon with a jumping roundhouse kick to the head. Zordon ducked and spun out to the right to create distance. Mackon came at him again with punches, which Zordon blocked with seemingly no effort. Mackon tried to bury his right knee in Zordon's gut, but the more powerful young Eltarian simply knocked the attacking appendage down and rolled underneath another kick attempt.

Mackon aimed a side kick at Zordon's stomach, but Zordon caught his foot inches before it made contact and threw him back. Mackon back flipped gracefully and landed on his feet. He came in trying to punch Zordon in the face, but Zordon caught the other man's arm and gave him a quick jab to the stomach followed by an uppercut that shot Mackon up off of his feet. Before he could hit the ground Zordon raised his pointer and middle fingers on his right hand towards the sky. The crystal beneath them morphed and a large flat plank shot up and knocked Mackon back into the sky. Zordon then held his hand up with the palm facing Mackon. Powerful winds began to blow and sent Mackon soaring into the side of the force field.

He dropped down to the ring's floor and raised his hand in defeat. "Alright Zordon you win," he said. "I just don't know how you do it. You make all these complex skills look so easy." Zordon's cheeks blushed a little. He was never one to brag about his abilities and sometimes he was embarrassed by them.

"Are you alright Mackon?" he asked with concern.

"It's nothing forty sub-cycles in a healing tank won't fix," the smiling Eltarian said as he rose from the ground.

As the two friends exited the dueling ring the force field vanished. The various Eltarians who had been watching the duel began to disperse and return to their studies. As soon as they left the dueling ring, Zordon felt a tingling sensation in his head. It was a powerful telepathic message. Zordon cleared his mind and allowed the message to play through his mind.

_Zordon of the seventeenth sector _an official sounding voice said. _The Council of El requires your presence at the Crystal Palace for an audience. You are to arrive within twenty sub cycles._ Zordon exhaled deeply. The council demanding someone's presence was not something taken lightly on Eltar. He had been within the council chambers more than possibly any other citizen of Eltar, though he still felt awed every time he entered their presence.

"What's the matter?" Mackon asked. "Did you get a message?"

"Yes," Zordon replied grimly.

"Who was it?"

"The council. They want to see me in twenty sub cycles."

"But the Crystal Palace is almost thirty four sectors from here."

"I guess that means I'll have to hurry," Zordon said, bending slightly at the knees. He gathered his magical energy inside him and leapt into the sky so quickly that Mackon's eyes couldn't even follow him. He sped along the landscape at such a pace that all anyone could see was a beam of white light shooting across the sky.

It wasn't long before the Crystal Palace came into view. It was such a magnificent structure that Zordon had nothing but awe and admiration for. The palace itself was huge and built at a sharp angle. Surrounding it were various other administrative buildings used by the various committees that the council appointed. He landed in front of the building and realized that he only took two sub cycles to arrive. He had grossly underestimated his speed. He chuckled softly to himself as he walked towards the large doors which led into the palace.

Around the palace, enormous humanoid machines worked on a construction project in the plains surrounding the palace; no doubt constructing some other enormous monument or government building. These giant machines toiled endlessly with an Eltarian inside the heads, driving the great machines. The various machines could also come together to form a larger robot which could lift much larger pieces of material for the bigger parts of construction.

Zordon wore the plain white robes and boots that most Eltarians wore. The sleeves and pants were loose fitting with the pants being tucked into his boots which came halfway up his calves. Over that he wore a simple white traveling cloak with baggy sleeves and a hood. The wind was blowing with a chill, so Zordon pulled his hood over his head. There was something odd about that chill. It was almost foreboding, as if the planet itself were trying to warn him of something.

Thinking nothing in particular of it, Zordon climbed a large crystalline staircase which led to enormous white double doors. When he reached the top, two guards dressed in royal blue walked from their posts on either side of the doors to the center. They eyed Zordon suspiciously.

"State your business," the guard on Zordon's left said.

"Zordon of the seventeenth sector, here to see the council," He replied. The guard pulled out a small data pad and checked its screen.

"Ah yes, they just added your appointment to today's agenda." The guards separated as the doors swung open slightly, leaving enough room for one person at a time to enter. "You may proceed directly to the council's chambers. You will wait outside their door to be summoned.

With a quick word of thanks, Zordon moved through the doors into the vast lobby. The great chamber was decorated lavishly with fountains, statues and tapestries showing Eltar's history, dating back to the first universe spanning war in which the Council of El defeated the Monarch of Evil, Dark Specter.

At the rear of the lobby was an enormous staircase which spiraled up into the upper reaches of the slanted palace. Zordon casually waved to other Eltarians who were around the lobby for one reason or another. He began to climb the staircase, taking in the entire view as he continued his ascent. Eventually he arrived at the top of the staircase, stopping before another set of double doors which were presided over by another pair of guards. Zordon decided he'd say something before they accusingly questioned him.

"I'm Zordon of the seventeenth sector," he said. "I've come on the council's orders." The guards checked their data pads and pressed a small button on them, presumably to alert the council to Zordon's presence. The button they pressed was glowing red. Soon it turned green and the guard told him that he was to proceed in to meet with the council. Zordon nodded and thanked the guards as he entered the doors into the dark council chambers.

At first everything was pitch black. Then small pin points of light emerged around him. Then the council appeared as the lights around their positions snapped on.

"Step into the circle, Zordon of the seventeenth sector," Doran said. Zordon could only tell that it was Doran because he carried the Staff of El. The council members all wore their hoods over their faces, clouding their stares from view. Though he could not see their eyes, Zordon could feel their eyes piercing him as he entered the center of the circle, standing next to the crystal apparatus.

The viewing globe snapped on above the machine and Zordon could see the twisted purple figure of Ivan Ooze in the center.

"Do you know who this is?" Doran asked.

"Of course Master Doran," Zordon replied. "Ivan Ooze, the evil creature whose force is sweeping through the universe. But why are you showing me this?"

"This council was seeking your opinion on this conflict and the council's ongoing decision to remain isolationists," a voice which he recognized as Jeton said. Zordon and Jeton had many conversations about this very subject. Jeton knew what Zordon's feelings about Ivan Ooze and the council's decision were.

"With the utmost respect to you revered masters," Zordon said slowly, trying to keep his tone as civil and non accusatory as possible. "I feel that our continued isolationist tactics could be helping Ooze's forces as much as it protects our own."

"Watch your tongue young one," a female voice, Kreion, said. "This council did not come to its decision easily. Much thought and deliberation was given to it."

"Of that I am sure master," Zordon said turning in the direction of the voice. "But we Eltarians are looked up to among the other races. They look to us for guidance. I feel that if we were to join the struggle against Ooze and get our forces organized, we could turn the very tide of this struggle before it turns its attention to us directly."

"Certain pieces of evidence have led us to believe that Ooze's forces would stand no chance if they were to try and take Eltar," the rough voice of Veron said. The viewing globe came alive again, showing the underdeveloped planet Earth. Veron explained the how the humans still resist Ivan in the face of their own conquest. "Certainly you can see how this primitive species continues to hold Ooze back. We cannot really believe that Ivan can be a threat when he cannot even conquer such beasts."

"With all due respect master, I disagree," Zordon said, not taking his eyes off the viewing globe for a second. "You say that these people are primitive and beneath us, thus you associate Ooze with weakness. But perhaps these humans are simply that strong. Their force of will is what holds Ooze back. It is they that are strong, not Ooze that is weak."

"You seem to have a very warped view of what exists in reality young Zordon," Veron said. Zordon continued staring at the human slaves as they toiled endlessly on Ooze's enormous creation, whatever it might be.

"Aren't you at all worried about what Ooze might be constructing on that planet?" Zordon asked.

"We have looked into the situation," Malon's voice said. "It appears to be some type of gigantic robot, similar to our construction droids."

"Then the reason for us to join the fight is more relevant than ever!" Zordon exclaimed. "If he is building gigantic robotic monsters then no one but Eltarians are poised to stop him. We alone possess the secrets of our construction droids. I have been working on a theory lately that if we were to produce a line of construction droids that were specifically designed for combat, it could out fight any monster that Ivan or any force of evil could come up with."

"These ideas are best left in the academy halls Zordon," Kreion said "We are evolutionary superiors to beings such as Ivan Ooze and will not be lowered to his levels."

"But Master Kreion, we must be prepared to meet this potential threat! If the council will just listen to my ideas…"

"That is enough young one," Doran said. "We have heard your opinion and it has taught us much. We thank you for your time and bid you farewell."

"Are we not to even hear his ideas?" Jeton said. "Are we to be that close minded?"

"Silence Jeton," Doran replied forcefully. "This council will not hear the hair brained schemes of one so young. It is impractical."

"But Doran, Zordon has proved time and time again that he is not like any other youth on Eltar." Zordon felt awkward as he stood there amongst the council members' argument. He considered taking his leave but something inside him demanded he stay.

"Silence Jeton, the council has spoken." Doran turned his attention to Zordon. "You are dismissed Zordon." Zordon turned to leave, but then thought better of it.

"Master Doran I do believe that the members of this council are grossly misguided in the case of this conflict." The chamber was suddenly alight with voices, all aghast at what this youngster had said to them. "The council's constant decision to remain in an isolationist stance while other sentient races are enslaved or wiped out makes you all accomplices to murder." The voices had moved from aghast to enraged; Zordon knew that he was only moments away from being arrested for treason but he could not stop. "Ivan Ooze will come here eventually and when he does, may the heavens protect us because we will be grossly unprepared when he does!"

Before Doran could condemn the young Eltarian to a lifetime in prison the entire chamber shook. Some council members faltered and even fell in the ensuing quake. A large explosion ripped through the chamber and a thick purple beam of lightning flew into the room and struck Doran in the chest, killing him almost instantly. The Staff of El flew from his hands as he hit the ground.

Zordon and the members of the council were too shocked to speak. Then, before anyone could do anything, the purple and black robed form of Ivan Ooze floated gently into the center of the room.

"I'm sorry," Ooze said with a hideous smile that showed off his yellow teeth. "Am I interrupting something?"


	4. Chapter 3: Phaedos

**Chapter Three: Phaedos**

The council collectively gasped as Ivan surveyed the damaged chamber. In the minds of the Council of El, Ivan Ooze standing in the center of the council chambers was one of the most impossible thoughts imaginable. They had either overestimated their own power, or underestimated Ooze's. Either way, the situation had become very dire instantly.

"Leave this sacred hall creature," Veron said stepping forward. "Your filth will not be tolerated here." Ivan stared blankly at the old Eltarian before lifting his arm and taking a long whiff of his armpit.

"I think filth is a bit of an overstatement don't you think?" he asked in mock astonishment. "I just bathed 300 years ago." Ivan's insane cackle filled the chamber as he laughed wickedly at his own joke. Malon decided that he needed to act instead of banter with the morphological being; so he leapt forward, landing right in front of Ivan.

Malon placed his hand, palm up, right in front of Ooze's face and released a steady stream of white energy at point blank range. A loud explosion ripped through the room and when the smoke cleared, Ivan was standing unscathed with a look of mild annoyance over his grotesque features.

"How rude," Ivan remarked, pointing a single finger at Malon. Purple lightning shot out from the finger and engulfed the council member. He flew backwards and landed hard on the chamber's polished black floor. He was still alive, though the electric current still flowed through his body.

Kreion stepped forward, her hands open in a sign of good will. "What business do you have here?" Ivan surveyed the room coldly before answering. He could see the council head sprawled lifeless on the floor behind him. In front of him stood the elderly female who appeared to be trying to utilize diplomacy in the situation. Behind her, another elderly figure knelt beside the foolish old Eltarian that had tried to attack Ivan.

"I must say," Ooze said, "you Eltarians have really been doing me a lot of favors by keeping your pale noses out of my business. But I'm too close now to leave any loose ends free. Eltar must fall so that my glorious empire can fully rise!" Ivan pointed a finger at Kreion and shot her with another shot of purple electricity. She spun backwards and landed with a thud next to Malon. Ivan noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw a bald elderly male and a young male with long silver hair.

Ooze turned to regard them both. His hate filled eyes locked for one moment with the never wavering blue eyes of Zordon. Had Ivan known at the time just what this young male would mean to his future and the future of his empire, he would have killed him right there on the spot. Instead, ignorant of the path his destiny would take, Ivan continued to gloat.

"What's this?" he said taking a step towards the pair. "I didn't think you old crones let the young guns in on your secret meetings." Zordon continued to stare at Ooze in anger and stiffened as if expecting a fight.

"How dare you enter this chamber," Zordon said through clenched teeth. "You and your foul empire have no place on Eltar. Now leave before I send you to the abyss myself." Ivan did nothing for a moment, but soon a slow wicked smile began to light up his face.

"You've got a big mouth boy," Ivan said. "I hope you can back up those strong words with some action."

"I'll more than back them up," Zordon said taking a step towards Ooze. Jeton clasped Zordon's arm in an attempt to hold him back.

"You can't do this Zordon," he said. "Do not throw your life away like this!" Ivan chuckled.

"Zordon is it?" he asked. His right hand began to spark with purple electricity. "Don't listen to the old man. Come show me what you're made of." Before Zordon could do anything, Ivan stumbled forward as more white energy assaulted him from behind. Veron had risen to his feet and was pouring his energy at Ooze. The attack was doing nothing more than making Ivan stumble a bit, but it did divert his attention.

Once Ivan turned his attention to Veron, Jeton took Zordon by the arm and dragged him away, stopping to pick up the discarded Staff of El along the way. Jeton dragged the unwilling Zordon to the far side of the room where he pressed his hand to the wall. The wall responded with a gentle hum and a doorway opened in it. As Jeton pulled Zordon through the doorway they could hear the crackle of Ivan's electric attacks and Veron's screams.

"Master Jeton, what are you doing?" Zordon asked as the door slid shut behind them. Lights soon came on and the room was revealed as a circular white chamber which housed the council's private space ship. The ship was triangular in shape and dark blue in color with various blue spikes that jutted out at seemingly random parts of the ship. The ship rested on four of the spikes.

"You need to go Zordon," Jeton said.

"What? Master we have to fight him! He's right here on our land!"

"Fight him here and he'll destroy you. Take the council's ship; find a planet where you can launch a counter offensive on him. We're too scrambled and disoriented to fight him here. I sense his forces are laying waste to the entire planet as we speak. You are the most powerful of us Zordon, you can stop him, and I know it."

"Master, come with me then. Together we can stop him!"

"No, my place is here. I will cover your escape." The ship hummed and a ramp extended down onto the floor. "Now go Zordon, and take this with you." He handed Zordon to Staff of El.

"Master I couldn't possibly…"

"Take it Zordon. It would have been yours one day anyway." Zordon closed his eyes for one second to collect his thoughts. Just thirty sub cycles before, he was in the dueling ring, concerned with nothing more than his studies; and now he was being thrust into a war in an attempt to save not only Eltar, but perhaps the universe itself.

"Thank you Master," he said to Jeton. "I will defeat Ooze. I promise."

"Go then, and may the power protect you." Zordon nodded and headed up the ramp into the ship with the staff in his hands. The door to the chamber they were in burst open and Ivan stood there glaring at them.

"Get out of here!" Jeton screamed as he threw himself at Ivan. Zordon ran into the ship as the ramp closed behind him. The ship's interior was filled with various blue computer consoles and four large cylinders surrounded by circles going up and down. The circles lit up one at a time.

Zordon sat in the large pilots chair and spoke to the computer. He could hear Jeton battling Ivan outside the hull.

"Computer, initiate emergency take off," he said as the computer hummed and the ship around him shook. The ceiling overhead opened to reveal the purple sky of Eltar. The ship hovered for a second and flew into the air suddenly with a rapid burst of speed. Zordon looked out through the ship's view port and saw the landscape of Eltar burning as Ivan's ooze men attacked and pillaged various structures and homes. Zordon squeezed his eyes shut for a moment trying to gather his thoughts.

"What is your destination?" the computer's voice asked pleasantly. Zordon thought it odd that this machine sounded so cheery while disaster rained down from around them. He thought for a moment. He'd need to find a good place to lay low and devise a plan to combat Ivan. An idea immediately came to him.

"Plot a course for a planet called Earth," he said. The computer processed the request for a moment before responding.

"Request approved, plotting course for Earth." Zordon thought that he was in the clear; however he did not count on Ivan dispatching Jeton as quickly as he did.

Ivan threw Jeton into one of the chamber's white walls and looked up into the sky after the escaping ship. Smiling, he pointed one finger at it and shot a stream of purple energy that engulfed the ship.

Zordon lurched forward in his ship as the forward motion was stopped. The computer lit up and alarms blared around him.

"Warning! Warning!" The computer screamed. "Electro magnetic deadlock seizing ship!"

"Activate thrusters!" Zordon screamed. The computer hummed for a second and activated the purple colored thrusters on the back of the ship, shooting it out of Ivan's clutches. Zordon stared in awe as the purple sky of Eltar quickly became the blackness of space. He allowed himself a moment to just breathe and calm down. Soon he'd be on Earth and he would figure out some way to strike back at Ivan.

Just when he though that he was out of the woods, the alarms began to blare again.

"Warning, ship engines sustained heavy damage, emergency landing required," the computer said. Zordon had to think fast before his engines failed and he was lost adrift in space.

"Scan for nearest planet not under Ivan Ooze's control," he said. The computer lit up as it scanned the surrounding area.

"Planet Phaedos is 15 parsecs from here. Systems have determined that it is mostly uninhabited and will provide a suitable location."

"Take us there then," he said. It wasn't long before the large tan planet of Phaedos came into view. Zordon marveled at its size. It was the first time he had ever seen another planet up close before. Phaedos was easily several times larger than Eltar. The ship bucked slightly as it entered the atmosphere, Zordon's first thought was how barren the rocky terrain looked. The ship eventually landed safely on a rocky shore where waves crashed up and sprayed the ship's hull with salt water.

"What needs to be done to repair the engines?" he asked the computer.

"This vessel is self-repairing," the computer responded. "You are required only to wait." Zordon sighed and rose from the pilot's chair. He commanded the ship to open the ramp so that he could explore the planet a bit. Seizing the Staff of El in one hand he exited the ship and stood on the rocky shore.

Closing his eyes, Zordon tried to figure out if Phaedos housed any magical energy. What he felt hit him like a fist. He stumbled back slightly, awed by the great power he felt. The power however did not come from the planet itself, but from somewhere on the planet. Some place or artifact on Phaedos was giving off a tremendous amount of energy. Zordon wondered why if this power was so great, no one had come here to claim it. Then he looked around and saw that he was wrong.

All around him were bones. Some were just single bones littered about and some were parts of large skeletons. Zordon realized that many beings had come to this planet, but it did not seem as if many left. He gazed out at the glistening sea, trying to block out the sight of the broken bones around him. He did not realize that atop a cliff, a lone figure, shrouded in green and holding a long staff was watching him.


	5. Chapter 4: Dulcea

**Chapter Four: Duclea**

Zordon stood motionless on the rocky shore just feeling the raw power flowing through the air, permeating off of whatever it was that held this astonishing and great power. The Staff of El vibrated softly in his hands, responding to the energy. In the rush to escape from Eltar, he had not had a chance to really examine the powerful staff that was bestowed upon him.

Its smooth white surface felt cool to Zordon's touch. It responded to powerful magics and Zordon wondered what the true extent of its powers would be. He had the feeling that before this adventure of his was over, he'd be forced to learn the full extent of the staff's power.

As the ship toiled endlessly repairing the engines, Zordon brooded over what had to be done. He couldn't defeat Ivan by himself, this he knew. He'd need allies, beings of power that would stand for good alongside him. When he arrived on Earth, his first priority had to be finding allies. Then together they could work to destroy these giant machines of death that Ivan was building.

The staff began to vibrate harshly, as if calling out to Zordon to warn him of some danger around him. He looked around just in time to see a green hooded figure fly at him with a large staff raised. Reacting on instinct, Zordon rolled under the incoming attack and shot right back up to his feet. The figure trued to bring the shiny ball on top of its staff down onto the top of Zordon's head. He blocked upwards with the Staff of El, holding it horizontally to stop his assailant's attack. He then spun his staff, moving the attacker's aside and tried to jab his own staff at its face.

The attacker responded by ducking and spinning out to resume its attack.

"Who are you?" Zordon asked. No reply came, the assailant redoubled its efforts at came at him with the staff swinging. The attacker was skilled and fast. Zordon blocked each attack with urgency though it was becoming apparent that this attacker was much faster than him. The attacker's staff found the back of Zordon's left knee and he fell roughly to the ground. He rolled to the side to avoid a staff blow from colliding with his face. The two warriors charged each other once again, their staffs meeting in front of their faces.

"I mean no harm to you or this planet," Zordon said. "I'm just here to repair my ship and leave."

"You lie," a rich female voice said from behind the hood. Zordon was only momentarily surprised that the attacker was a female. He was not sexist in any way and understood that females could be just as powerful in battle as males. They pushed at each other, driving the other backwards. They came in for another round of fast moving staff strikes. Zordon was unable to penetrate her defenses, she was just too fast. He swung wildly at her head and almost connected. His staff caught the female's hood and it flew back. Zordon was momentarily taken aback by the serene beauty in her face. Her eyes were locked on his with anger burning fiercely behind her irises. Though despite this, she was still the most beautiful creature Zordon had ever seen. She quickly removed the rest of her bulky robe to reveal a skimpy green two piece outfit. Zordon was fully expecting her to rush at him again; but he was surprised when she separated her staff into two halves and spun them around.

The result was a loud screeching sound that assaulted Zordon's brain. He clutched the sides of his head and screamed as the unholy noise bombarded his senses. The Eltarian dropped to his knees wishing only that the atrocious sound would cease. He knew if it continued he would die, there was no question in his mind about it. He felt that staff in his left hand vibrating with life and realized that it was activating itself and waiting for him to use it.

Zordon poured his magical energy into the staff, though concentrating on it was nearly impossible with the vile screech that was tearing his mind in half. The staff glowed, filled with his energy. Zordon pointed it at the mysterious female warrior and released the energy. It flew at her in a streak of white lightning, striking her body and sending her flying backwards, the two halves of her staff fell from her hands.

Once the staff pieces stopped spinning, the noise ceased and Zordon was back on his feet. He advanced quickly on the woman and placed the head of his staff on her throat. She seemed to realize her situation and glared up at him in anger.

"Go ahead and kill me!" she screamed. "But the Great Power will still remain out of your reach!"

"I'm not here for any power," Zordon said. "Like I said, I'm just here to repair my ship and be on my way. And I will not kill you." He took his staff away from her throat. She quickly rose to her feet, staring at the young male in disbelief. "My name is Zordon," he said with a reassuring smile. He kicked the two halves of her staff back over to her. "I have come here from the planet Eltar." The female warrior stared blankly at him as she picked up the pieces of her staff and put them back together. There was something in his smile and voice that reassured her and made her want to believe him.

"I am Dulcea," she said, "master warrior of the planet Phaedos and guardian of the Great Power which resides here." Zordon smiled and nodded. "What brings you to Phaedos, Zordon of Eltar?"

Zordon spent the next few minutes explaining his daring escape from his besieged planet. She listened intently with a solemn expression.

"And then I landed here on Phaedos to wait while my onboard computer finishes the repairs," he said.

"I apologize for attacking you as I did Zordon," Dulcea said. "Many beings come to Phaedos for the wrong reasons. Great power sleeps within this planet."

"I could feel it when I arrived. What is this power?"

"It would be easier if I were to show you. Follow me." Dulcea led Zordon up a large mountain and through various barren fields for what seemed like miles. Finally, she led him up a series of stone steps into a large amphitheater made of tan stone.

Dulcea stood at the far end overlooking what appeared to be the planet's only jungle. In the center of the jungle, a large monolith jutted out.

"What is that?" Zordon asked coming to stand beside her.

"The ancient monolith of the Ninjetti Great Power; it is what countless evil beings have come to this planet in search of."

"And it's your job to protect this power?"

"Yes, until someone worthy comes along to claim it."

"Why don't you take it yourself?" she suddenly looked very sad.

"I cannot step beyond this plateau," she said. "I am charged with protecting this power; but if I take one step into the forbidden jungle then I will begin to age rapidly and then I will die. I am connected with this world. I can feel the presence of every life form on it from insects to microscopic organisms. It's how I knew that you had arrived."

"But why stay here? Why not leave this planet?"

"Because my sacred duty is here." Dulcea's words sunk in to Zordon's mind. She spoke of sacred duty, a job she was charged with and upheld with honor. Zordon decided there that defeating Ivan Ooze and ending this conflict needed to be his sacred duty.

"I understand," he said. "I truly do. You are a remarkable woman Dulcea." She smiled bashfully.

"And what will you do now Zordon of Eltar? Will you confront Ivan Ooze and claim your vengeance?"

"I don't seek vengeance," Zordon replied quickly. "I only wish to protect my people and the people of the universe from this evil."

"That is very noble," she said. The two locked eyes for a moment. Zordon's heart began to beat faster and faster. She was a vision of loveliness and a powerful force of good. What was there not to like? It was an unconscious decision when their faces began to move towards each other and their lips touched in a passionate kiss. They stayed together the entire night trading stories, sharing philosophies and enjoying each other's company.

Before Zordon knew it, the sun had risen over Phaedos' horizon, bathing the two in light. He received a telepathic message from his ship, informing him that the repairs were complete and that his journey to Earth could begin again. He breathed a long sigh and looked at the angel who currently slept with her head on his shoulder. Zordon touched her cheek to wake her up. She stirred slightly and wearily opened her eyes.

"My repairs are done," he said. "I have to go." She nodded slightly. Zordon wished that he could stay with her, but he had a job to do just as she did. They walked together back to his ship, neither one saying a word. Dulcea finally broke the long silence when they arrived on the rocky shore.

"Will I ever see you again Zordon of Eltar?" she asked looking at him longingly.

"I'm sure of it," he said. "Are you sure you won't come with me?"

"I wish I could, but I must remain on Phaedos. I wish you luck in your endeavors. I know that Ivan Ooze will not stand a chance against you." They leaned in and shared one final kiss. They separated and Zordon walked slowly backwards up the ramp to his ship, never taking his eyes off of Dulcea. She watched him intently until the ramp closed. Then she took several steps backwards as the ship began to hover. It shot away in a brilliant blue flash, back into the darkness of space and leaving Phaedos and Dulcea behind.

Zordon sat slumped in the pilot's chair. He had never met a woman like Dulcea, though many Eltarian women had shown a strong interest in him, he had never returned those feelings. He just found the normal Eltarian women to be so bland and boring; they were nothing at all like Dulcea.

Zordon spent a few more hours staring blankly at the passing whirl of stars as the ship zoomed through the cosmos. The cheerful male voice of the cockpit's computer came alive all of a sudden.

"Incoming distress signal from the planetary kingdom of Edenoi." Zordon had never heard of this planet before in his studies, but if the people of that planet were in trouble he needed to listen to their message.

"Computer," he said, "play the message please." The console lit up and Zordon could hear a high pitched panicked voice yelling for help.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" it screamed. "Planet Edenoi is requesting immediate assistance! We are under attack from Ivan Ooze! They are laying siege to our capital city!" Zordon could hear loud explosions in the background of the message getting progressively closer. "Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" the voice screamed again before it cut off.

Zordon knew that arriving on Earth was imperative to his mission's success. However he could not just stand by and allow another planet to fall to Ooze's forces the way Eltar had. His choice was simple.

"Computer," he said "plot a course for the planet Edenoi."


	6. Chapter 5: Alpha 5

**Chapter Five: Alpha 5**

It did not take long for Zordon's ship to reach Edenoi. Much like Phaedos, the planet was a barren brown world; however, its terrain did not seem to be natural. Edenoi's landscape had been scorched by outside forces. Zordon had a feeling he knew just what those forces of evil were.

"Computer," he said, "please give me an analysis of the planet." The control panel began to light up, as the computer scanned the planet below.

"Planet Edenoi is a planetary kingdom ruled over by a monarchy. The planet has been receiving continued orbital bombardment from Ivan Ooze's forces for two standard months. Edenoi was protected by a planetary protective energy field; however, two standard months ago, the field mysteriously vanished. No records exist telling who or what caused the field to become deactivated."

"The distress signal originated from the capital city, correct?"

"Yes, signal emerged from Edenoi City. Shall I take us in there?"

"Yes." The ship banked hard to the right and sailed towards the planet. Zordon clutched the Staff of El in his left hand as he watched the charred world become larger in his cockpit window. As the ship approached, Zordon saw the source of the orbital bombardment. There were hundreds and thousands of small spherical objects orbiting Edenoi. Each one harbored two long cannons which looked as if they fired rapid bursts of energy. As Zordon's ship approached the planet, several of these spheres swiveled, pointing their cannons directly at his ship.

"We are being targeted by approximately 83 projectile firing weapons," the computer stated in its normal pleasant tone.

"Raise deflector shields to one hundred percent!" Zordon said. The computer obliged just as the spheres began firing purple bursts of energy at the ship. The deflector shield absorbed most of the energy bursts, but they were weakening significantly. At this rate, they would be fully depleted by the time Zordon reached Edenoi's surface.

"Shields have decreased to ten percent and are still dropping," the computer said. Zordon needed to think fast. He had reached the point of no return and couldn't turn back if he wanted to. Just when it seemed as if there was no hope, the Staff of El began to vibrate, as if it were telling Zordon that everything was going to be alright.

Zordon began pumping his own energy into the vibrating staff, entrusting it to protect him. The staff hummed calmly in his grasp and began to glow a brilliant white. The glow expanded until it surrounded the entire ship. The projectiles, upon touching the white glow, dissipated without causing any harm at all.

Zordon exhaled, silently thanking the staff for protecting him. Though the spheres continued to fire upon the ship, Zordon barely noticed, as the projectiles were unable to pierce the protective veil encasing his craft. He had avoided one near crisis, and he hoped he would be able to handle whatever danger awaited him on Edenoi's surface. Upon entering the planet's atmosphere, Zordon's windshield was assaulted by clouds of dust. It took quite a while for the vessel to break through the cloud, giving Zordon a clear view of Edenoi's terrain.

The planet was the definition of barren. Nothing green grew on its brown, rocky surface and Zordon wondered how this planet was capable of supporting life.

It did not take long for Edenoi City to appear on the horizon, or at least, what was left of it. The city was in ruins. Smoke billowed up from its high towers, stretching into the side like the hideous tentacles of some unseen creature of darkness. Where once a massive wall stood around the perimeter of the city, now there was only a crumbling mess, which was once undoubtedly a symbol of strength for this planet's capital city.

Zordon could sense the close combat occurring below him in the city streets. The forces of Edenoi clashed with Ivan's ooze men and a different kind of creature than Zordon had ever seen. They appeared to be large toad-like creatures that walked on two legs. There were many of them, but Zordon had never heard of Ivan utilizing creatures such as these.

Realizing that the distress signal must have originated from the city's palace, a large spiraling structure in the center of the city, made up of five towers of varying sizes, Zordon maneuvered the ship over to it. When he reached the largest tower of the palace, Zordon saw that a hole had been blown in the roof, making the throne room visible to Zordon.

What was once undoubtedly a stunning green and black chamber had been reduces to ruins. The throne, which once stood at the northern most section of the throne room, laid on its side in two pieces. The tapestries were burned or ripped, and a platoon of ooze men and those toad creatures were tearing the room apart. Zordon had seen enough.

Standing, and taking the Staff of El in his hand, Zordon took a deep breath.

"Computer," he said. "Open the rear hatch. Once I'm gone return to the atmosphere and wait for my call."

"Affirmative," the computer's voice replied. Zordon ran towards the back of the ship as the rear hatch began to open. With one defining leap he was out into the air of Edenoi, landing inside the damaged throne room. Immediately the ooze men and toad creatures stopped what they were doing and turned in his direction.

Most of the creatures were crowded around a humanoid being, seemingly ready to pull the poor soul apart. Zordon realized that he had arrived at the right time as his appearance distracted them from their intended victim. He spun the Staff of Ell in circles above his head, taking a combat stance.

"Come on then fiends," he spat at them. The ooze men came at him first. He met each one with a spinning strike from the staff or a kick, which would send the purple creatures sprawling. These blows were meant to daze them, as they rose back to their feet and advanced again, this time meeting more vicious strikes from Zordon. As he spun and brought the Staff of El into the side of the last ooze man standing, Zordon's back was to the scene of attempted murder he had interrupted before.

"Watch out for the cogwartz!" a high pitched voice yelled from behind him. Zordon turned at the sound of the voice to see the three toad creatures, apparently called cogwatrz, advance on him. He jabbed one in the ample mid-section with his staff, while turning to kick another one across the snout. The third one advanced and was met with a punch to the side of the head from Zordon which sent it sprawling. The Staff of El began to vibrate in Zordon's hand again, and the Eltarian realized that the staff wanted to release its power. Zordon began pumping his own energy into the staff and it started to glow a pale white. Zordon raised the staff into the air and white light exploded forth from it, incinerating the ooze men and cogwartz instantly.

Zordon walked over to where the downed man laid. This man had saved him by yelling out that warning about the cogartz and Zordon looked forward to thanking him personally. When he got there he realized that this man wasn't a man at all. It was a fully sentient multi-functional automaton…a robot. He was colored red and yellow on his torso, arms and legs. His head was a circular dome where, at the front, was a red visor which lit up while he spoke.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi," it exclaimed, picking itself up off of the ground. "Thank you sir, I thought I was done for when they entered here."

"It was my pleasure," Zordon replied. "And you may call me Zordon."

"Zordon?" the robot said, using the name for the first time. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Alpha 5."

"You are the one who sent the distress signal?" Zordon asked, recognizing that unmistakable voice as the one which came through his ship's speakers.

"Oh, yes, that was me. I was afraid no one was going to receive it." The two were interrupted by a loud voice filling the area.

"You there!" it yelled. "Stay away from Alpha!" Zordon turned to see a well fit man with long flowing black hair and a jewel in the center of his head, wearing a long flowing brown hooded robe, standing in the doorway to the throne room.

"Hello," Zordon started to say, but he was taken aback by the look of utter rage on the man's face.

"You will pay for what you've done to my home, monster!" The figure yelled. Before Zordon could respond, the new arrival threw his hands into the air. "Ecto-Phase Activate!" Before Zordon's eyes, this man's form began to morph, as green and silver armor began to cover his entire body.

"No, you have it wrong!" Alpha screamed, however he went unheard by this armored warrior who charged Zordon. Before Zordon could speak, the man was at him, sending Zordon on the defensive, blocking his fast paced punches and kicks with his staff. "Masked Rider, please, no, he is a friend!" If this Masked Rider heard him, he did not show it. His assault continued, as relentless as ever. Zordon was astounded at his speed and strength. It was all he could do to hold him back.

Zordon managed to duck and roll under a spinning kick sent by the Rider, creating some distance between them. As the Masked Rider came at Zordon again, he was stopped when Alpha 5 stepped between them.

"Majesty, please!" he screamed. "This is Zordon, he saved me!"

"Are you sure?" the Rider asked.

"Of course, Sire!"

"Very well." The Rider's armor began to fly off of him, disappearing into thin air. Zordon stood astounded, having never seen anything like it before. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. My name is Lexian. I am the king of Planet Edenoi."

"Think nothing of it," Zordon said, catching his breath. "I am called Zordon, from the planet Eltar."

"Eltar?" Lexian said. "What brings an Eltarian all the way out here?" Zordon began to relate the story to Lexian and Alpha, about how Ivan had attacked Eltar, and how Zordon had barely escaped with his life to journey to Planet Earth.

"An impressive tale indeed," Lexian said. "I thank you for taking time to accept Alpha's distress call."

"As do I" Alpha stated, eliciting a small laugh from Lexian and Zordon.

"Lexian," Zordon said, "what has happened here?"

"If only I knew," Lexian said. "Our planetary shields allowed us to live in peace for generation. However, someone from within the palace deactivated them without our knowledge, opening us up to bombardment from Ivan Ooze."

"Who would do such a thing?" Zordon asked, before being interrupted by new arrivals.

"Father!" a young voice yelled from the entrance to the throne room. A young man ran into the room, he resembled Lexian, but with shorter hair and a goatee. Behind him were four others. They each wore the same brown robes as their king.

"Ah, Dregon!" Lexian exclaimed. "Lexian, this is my youngest son, Prince Dregon. Dregon, this is Zordon of Eltar. He helped hold back a swarm of ooze men and cogwartz who were about to assault Alpha 5."

"How…_fortunate_…you arrived when you did," Dregon said, acknowledging Zordon, in a somewhat cold manner.

In the ensuing hours Lexian briefed Zordon on what was happening on Edenoi. Edenoi City was protected well by Lexian, in the guise of Masked Rider. Zordon learned that the Masked Rider power was passed down throughout Edenoi's royal family, going from eldest son to eldest son. Masked Rider served as the protector of the planet, though no Masked Rider in history had seen as much action as Lexian.

Lexian's other children and their families were leading small rebel groups on various strategic locations throughout the planet. Dregon remained behind with his father to assist in defending the capitol. Before long, Lexian offered Zordon a guest bedroom in the palace for the night, suggesting that he continue on his journey in the morning. Zordon accepted and settled into his room for the night.

Alpha 5 was not ready to power down for the night. He wandered the halls of what was left of Edenoi's royal palace, checking on what would need to be repaired in the morning. Alpha was in charge of the castle's upkeep and liked to remain on top of things. It was as he was walking down the hallway which housed the royal chambers that he heard something which would change Edenoi forever.

"I practically handed the capitol city to Ivan!' a voice boomed. Alpha froze in his track, moving over to the wooden door to the bed chamber, inside of which he saw Prince Dregon, raging at the four warriors who normally followed him.

"This failure is unacceptable," he said.

"Sire if I may, perhaps we should try another day?" a small follower of Dregon said.

"Silence Gork!" he snapped to his fellow Edenoi warrior, who always seemed to enjoy speaking in rhymes. Besides Quark, Alpha could identify all of the others in the room. Doran, who lost an eye in service to the palace long ago; it earned him the nickname Cycloptor; Tannin, whom no one in the palace trusted, his nasty betrayals of trust earning him the nickname Double Face; finally there was Neferia, one of the few female warriors in the palace. She was as ruthless as they come.

"We provided Ivan Ooze with the means to destroy this planet months ago when we deactivated the planetary defense field; so why hasn't he sent us more troops?" Dregon said. "We can only fool that simple minded oaf who calls himself my father for so long. Those Masked Rider powers should have been mine already!"

"Sire," Cycloptor began.

"Silence!" Dregon yelled, bringing a small yellow scepter from under his robes. Golden strands of energy wrapped around all four of his followers as they screamed in agony.

"Ay yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha exclaimed before pitching forward, his momentum opening the door and sending him sprawling into the room. Dregon and his followers, who still laid smoking on the floor, all glared at him. "Heh-heh. Hiya fellas."

"So my father's tin can was spying on us!" Dregon said. "Take him apart!" His minions began to rise from the floor and advance on Alpha, who backed off nervously. Just as Double Face was about to Pounce he was met in the nose with a white staff. As he flew back, Dregon and his men were shocked to see Zordon standing in the doorway to the vast chamber, an angered look on his face.

"Get behind me Alpha," he commanded.

"Whatever you say!" Alpha exclaimed, running behind his now two time savior.

"You are making a mistake," Dregon said.

"It is you who made the mistake Dregon, when you chose to follow Ooze and his path of evil."

"This bores me," Dregon said. "Take him." The four minions of Dregon advanced on Zordon but each was quickly dispatched by a well aimed punch to the face, kick to the throat, or staff jab to the chest. Despite numerous attempts by the four evil warriors, they could not best Zordon and he left them lying in a heap.

As he turned to face Dregon, Zordon was met with the golden strands of energy shot from the dark prince's scepter. The force of Dregon's attack sent Zordon flying out the open window. He crashed in a heap down in the barren palace courtyard, the seven story fall not affecting him or slowing down his Eltarian body in the least.

Dregon leaped out the window after him, flipping down to the courtyard. He ran up to Zordon and kicked him hard in the face, sending the Eltarian sprawling. As Zordon rose again, Dregon sent another shot of golden energy his way, catching him in the chest and sending him flying across the courtyard.

"You are a fool Zordon of Eltar. You think you can stop the almighty Ivan Ooze? There is no force in the universe that can stand against him. You will be trampled just the same as this pathetic planet." Dregon shot another group of golden energy strands, but this time, Zordon raised the Staff of El to intercept them; the staff's magical energy canceling them out.

"You are the fool Dregon," Zordon replied. "You are weak and followed the path of someone who holds more power than you. I truly pity you."

"Pity me?! HA! I will soon rule Edenoi. And that will only be my first conquest. Ooze has promised me this planet and many others if I serve as his lieutenant. But, above all else, he has promised me the Masked Rider power that should have been my birthright!"

"Your father is Masked Rider, not you. Your status as a younger child assures it will never be yours."

"My father is a weak fool! The Masked Rider Powers will be mine when I take them from his cold, dead body."

"Is that so?" Zordon said, one eyebrow raised, looking beyond Dregon. Dregon seemed confused for a moment, and then he heard it.

"Ecto-Phase Activate!" Dregon had a look of dread and fear as he turned, coming face to face with Lexian, fully in the guise of the Masked Rider, Alpha 5 right beside him. "I didn't want to believe it when Alpha came to me, Dregon. How could you do this?"

Dregon looked about frantically, trying to find some way out of this. Finally, seeing none, he decided to lay it all on the line.

"It wasn't a difficult decision, father. You have something I want."

"You're spoiled tantrum has meant the deaths of thousands Dregon."

"I don't care! I want that POWER!" he screamed, launching a barrage of golden energy at his father.

Masked Rider seemed to hesitate but a moment, before pulling an electrified saber seemingly out of thin air. He caught Dregon's energy in the saber and sent it flying back, striking the prince in the upper half of the face. Zordon watched in awe as Dregon shrieked in pain, clutching his now smoking face. Masked Rider deactivated his armor, becoming Lexian yet again, but the king seemed deeply troubled and sad.

Several guards ran into the courtyard. "Take Dregon into custody," the king said as the guards swarmed around the fallen, screaming prince. Dregon and his four accomplices were arrested that night and banished to the farthest waste lands of Edenoi, where noxious gasses came out of the ground and changed them. Gork, Cycloptor and Double Face were all transfigured into hideous monsters. Nefaria's eyes would glow red, giving her control over mystical arts. And Dregon himself, who always from that day on wore a golden mask to hide his disfigured face, found his skin tinted the same color of gold, and his magical power increased exponentially.

Once the difficult business of banishing Dregon and his minions had ended, Zordon bode farewell to Lexian in the throne room of his great palace, his ship hovering just outside the throne room's balcony.

"You have done a great service to us Zordon of Eltar," Lexian said. "If ever I can return the favor, please allow me."

"It was a pleasure to help you Lexian," Zordon replied.

"Before you go, I'd like to provide you a invaluable service."

"Lexian you don't have to…"

"I insist," the king said, interjecting. "I would like my assistant, Alpha 5 to accompany you on your journey to Earth." Zordon did not know what to say, as the short robot came walking into view, with what appeared to be a stuffed animal tucked under his arm.

"I'm ready when you are Zordon."

"Are you sure?" Zordon asked. "I'd be thrilled to have you come along Alpha, but aren't you needed here?"

"Don't worry Zordon," Alpha responded. "There's still an Alpha 6 to take my place." Alpha gestured behind him where an somewhat shinier version of Alpha stood.

"Yo yo yo Big Z," it said in a thick accent.

"Umm, hello?" Zordon replied, silently thanking whatever deity was watching over him that this new Alpha was not the one accompanying him. He turned to Alpha 5. "If you are sure you wish to accompany me, my friend, I am happy to have you." Zordon extended his hand, and Alpha shook it.

"Glad to be aboard Zordon!" he exclaimed.

As Zordon's ship pulled away from Edenoi, he was glad to have found a kindred spirit in Alpha 5. Alpha's personality, albeit artificial, seemed to make the lonely journey through the cosmos more bearable. Zordon found himself truly enjoying the robot's company and realized he had made a true friend in Alpha, his first non-Eltarian friend.

As the weeks passed, Alpha and Zordon kept true in their course to Earth and worked together to keep the ship running. During the trip, the two had the chance to talk and began forming a bond that would become legendary and stretch for many millennia. But, we're getting considerable ahead of ourselves.

"Destination approaching, planet Earth," The computer said. "Estimated arrival in 30 standard minutes."

"Ay-yi-yi," Alpha exclaimed, "we've finally arrived Zordon."

"Yes Alpha," Zordon said, gazing in wonder at the beautiful blue planet before them.

"It's beautiful," Alpha said.

"Don't be fooled my friend. This planet is completely under the control of Ivan Ooze. We must be more cautious than ever once we touch down."

"You're right, what was I thinking?"

"It is very nice though," Zordon said, smiling at the eccentric robot. A small beeping noise began coming from one of the computer consoles. Alpha wandered over to it and pressed a few buttons, gazing down at the computer readouts. "What is it Alpha?"

"Whoa!" the robot exclaimed. "The computer is showing a massive energy reading coming from the surface. It is a fully pure energy source, untouched by Ooze's influence."

"What are you talking about?" Zordon said, coming over to look at the readings.

"There are six separate energy sources coming from this desert!" Alpha said, pointing to a spot on the readout, depicting the planet. "Zordon, not even the Masked Rider powers hold this much energy!" Zordon's brow furrowed. He did not want to get his hopes up too high, but in this energy reading he hoped that he might find something which could possibly counter Ooze's terrible power.

"Take us down to that desert, Alpha," Zordon said. "Let's see what's down there."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ok so I've officially re-started my work on this story. So many of you have commented positively on it and I really believe in this story. Please leave me any and all comments. I hope someone reading this was a Masked Rider fan cause I totally got my wiki on and had to do a lot of Edenoi research while writing this one. Just to clear up a few things, this is only Book One of Zordon's early adventures. Book 2 will be coming immediately after, in this same file. And I know Ooze wasn't around in the cannon Power Rangers universe but bear with me here. My feelings are just because he wasn't released in the cannon seasons doesn't mean he never existed. He could have been locked away all that time. I hope you all enjoy my attempt at making sense of the somewhat convoluted origins of MMPR. –John Evans


	7. Chapter 6: May The Power Protect You

**Chapter 6: 'May The Power Protect You'**

Earth. Zordon could hardly believe they had finally arrived as he gazed at the blue and green planet through the viewport of his ship. The news Alpha had just given him regarding the energy source located on the planetintrigued him and filled him with a sense of hope. Should whatever power laying dormant on Earth prove to be beneficial to his cause, then Zordon began to believe that his one man war against Ivan Ooze might not be the suicide mission it had first seemed to be.

"Alpha, what is our estimated time of arrival?"

"We should be arriving on the planet's surface within one hour, Earth standard time," the fussy robot stated as he rushed about the cockpit, pressing various buttons and double checking their landing course. Zordon relaxed in the pilot's seat. He had time to make sense of the jumble of emotions he was feeling before they would land. He needed to take that time and relax his mind. It wouldn't do to jump into the fray with weary thoughts weighing him down.

"Computer," he said, as the console before him lit up in response. "Please tell me about this Planet Earth."

The console processed the request for a moment and responded in its usual pleasant baritone.

"Planet Earth is the only planet is the Sol solar system capable of sustaining life. Galactic records state that the chief species among the many that inhabit this world are known as humans, but that was not always the case. Prior to the rise of these humans, the Earth was ruled by beasts of enormous power, referred to by the humans as dinosaurs.

"The humans revere these creatures, and six tribes have risen up in defiance of Ivan Ooze's occupation of the planet. Each tribe corresponds to a specific member of the dinosaurs of old. They are: Dragon, Mastodon, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Saber Tooth Tiger, and Tyrannosaurus. The tribes operate independently, leading resistance groups against Ooze. They are all that stands between him and the total destruction of their species."

Zordon nodded solemnly. These creatures, these dinosaurs, were obviously a rallying symbol for these people. It brought these six tribes together, and made them more than just mere humans. They became symbols themselves; heroes that would inspire the rest of their race to fight back against the oppression of Ivan Ooze. However, the humans could not directly engage Ooze on the battlefield. That was obviously something that remained outside the reach of even the Eltarians.

"Ay-yi-yi," Alpha said from his station behind Zordon. "These poor people. We must do something to help them, Zordon."

"Yes, I agree Alpha. But I'm beginning to realize that this is not a battle I can win alone."

"What do you mean?"

"The time must come for these humans to fight for their own planet. They must stand up themselves and protect what is theirs. And I will most certainly lend my arm to their cause. We are not recruiting them for our war, Alpha. We are volunteering to join theirs."

The ship entered Earth's atmosphere without incident. There were no orbital defenses as there had been on Edenoi. As they approached, Zordon had marveled at the beauty of the blue and green planet, but, as they moved closer, he could see that much of the planet was covered in black clouds. This was no natural weather occurrence. This was the influence of Ivan Ooze. Lands under his control were covered with black clouds, from which flew purple bolts of lightning. It was sad to see a percentage of this world dotted with the stain of evil. It made Zordon sick to his stomach.

Luckily, the site of the power reading detected by Alpha was in an area devoid of these anomalous weather patters, meaning Ooze's forces had yet to reach it.

"We're almost there, Zordon," Alpha happily chirped as they approached the landing site. Zordon smiled at his companion. During their journey towards Earth, he had gotten to know the quirky little robot, and found a true kindred spirit in his artificial personality. Alpha was a friend, at a time when Zordon most needed one. He was no longer alone in this vast undertaking, and was glad to have the company.

The spikes making up the ship's landing gear touched down on the top of a barren rocky cliff. Zordon asked the computer for a status report of the surrounding area.

"Touchdown complete on planet Earth," it said. "Sensors indicate that our landing area is on the outskirts of a zone known on Earth as the Grove of the Angels." Zordon nodded. How appropriate that they should find a place so pure that Ivan's darkness had yet to touch it, and with a name that seemed to inspire the hope they would need in the ensuing chaos.

"Oh, this is so exciting," Alpha remarked, pacing back and forth as they prepared to exit the ship. Zordon donned his cloak and once again took up the Staff of El, which vibrated excitedly in his hands, no doubt feeling the abundance of planetary magic held within this small world.

Zordon and Alpha exited the ship and looked out over the rocky mountain upon which they stood. Squinting in the light of the yellow sun, Zordon reached out with his mind, feeling for this energy that Alpha has scanned on their approach to the planet. It did not take long for him to find it. The staff eagerly vibrated, also sensing their target. Zordon pointed the white rod to the south east.

"There is where we will find this power Alpha. I sense its energy in that direction."

"Ay-yi-yi. I'm getting a strong reading on my sensors as well, Zordon."

"Yes, it appears as if this energy source is more powerful than we had originally anticipated. This is good news."

"But we can't just leave the ship here like this," Alpha stated. "This is still an Ooze controlled world. We can't risk the wrong being finding it." Zordon nodded and turned around toward his ship. The white vessel sat comfortably atop the hill, shining in the sunlight.

Zordon raised the Staff of El and pointed it at the ship. Concentrating on the ground around it, Zordon began to reshape the mountain, using the power of the staff and his own magical energy to pull the mountain around his ship, concealing it in a freshly made cave. Normally, this kind of magic would have caused more of a strain, even with the staff grasped firmly in his hand. But, on this Earth, the abundance of planetary magic made this normally daunting task a simple feat for one such as Zordon.

"That should keep it well hidden," he said. "Now my friend, onward toward this energy."

Zordon and Alpha had walked for three Earth hours in the direction Zordon had specified. Normally, Zordon could have just leapt into the sky and flown toward his charge, but he did not want to risk one of Ivan's servants sensing his presence. There would be time to operate in plain site of the Ooze pestilence, but, for now, it was best to remain hidden and work in secret, amassing the humans into a fighting force.

"Ay-yi-yi," Alpha whined, 'my servos are nearing exhaustion, Zordon. Thankfully, my sensors are indicating that we are closing in on the source of the reading."

"I sense it too." And indeed it was hard NOT to sense it. As they approached the power source, Zordon's senses were assaulted by the purity and force behind whatever was waiting for them. Finally, the power source reached its apex and Zordon knew that they were there. "Stop here," he instructed his mechanical side kick, who stopped in his tracks. "We're right on top of it."

'My sensors indicate the same, Zordon, but that can't be right. There is nothing here."

Indeed, they were standing in the middle of a barren dessert, the heat from the yellow sun glaring down on them. "I'm sure it's here Alpha." While Alpha continued searching the area, Zordon decided to try something different. He closed his eyes tight, holding the staff vertically in front of him and began to focus on the energy reading. As he mentally reached out for the source of the great power and felt it respond to his thoughts. At first it was difficult to decipher what he was feeling, but then he realized it. While he had been reaching out to the power source, it was reaching out to him as well. It was scanning him, searching for something in his mind and soul. He could feel it probing him, trying to discover his intentions. And, it must have liked what it had felt inside him, because the next instant, the ground they stood on began to shake.

"Oh no!" Alpha screamed and he stumbled to and fro. "This is it! We're doomed!"

"Calm down, Alpha," Zordon said, raising his voice over the rumble. "Everything will be fine." What happened next amazed Zordon. From out of the ground a pillar burst upward nearly four feet in height. It was gray and ornate and, on its sides were carvings of the six guardian dinosaurs that Earth's resistance groups held sacred. Both Zordon and Alpha stared in awe at what sat atop the pillar. It was a small black treasure chest. Both could feel the energy radiating off of it like heat from a flame. Zordon moved toward the chest, with Alpha right behind. With shaking hands, the Eltarian opened the small golden clasp on the front of the chest and pulled back the top. As the chest opened, a golden light enveloped the area, forcing Zordon to shield his eyes and Alpha's visual systems to overload for an instant.

As the golden hue faded, they both stared down into the chest to see six triangular crystals of varying colors. They were green, black, pink, blue, yellow, and red. Next to the crystals there was a rolled up parchment. Zordon took the parchment, which was held together with a seal depicting a curved letter "N". Sliding the seal off, Zordon unrolled the parchment and noticed that there were two documents enclosed.

The first was a map. Adorning it was the same stylish letter N which had held the two documents together. It began at the site where they currently stood, and seemed to stretch for thousands of miles. Moving the map aside, he saw a message written on the other document.

"_Whoso opens this chest, be they worthy, is hereby granted the power of the crystals. Imbedded within are the guardian spirits of the great dinosaurs, which ruled this world with brute strength and power. Use this power for good, traveler, and it will serve you well. These have been the words of the great sage Ninjor."_

"They're beautiful," Alpha said, staring at the crystals.

"They're more than that, Alpha," Zordon replied. "They're salvation."

After staring at the crystals for what seemed like hours, Zordon and Alpha began the long trek back to their ship.

"We are very fortunate to have found this incredible gift," Alpha said.

"I do not believe fortune played a hand in this," Zordon said. "I think we were destined to find these crystals. They are the answer." Zordon was violently taken from his thoughts when he sensed a dark presence watching them from atop a nearby rocky outcropping. Turning towards it, he saw one of Ivan's Ooze soldiers watching them. When it met eyes with Zordon, it turned to flee.

"A scout!" Zordon exclaimed, realizing that it had probably run for reinforcements.

"Oh no!" Alpha screamed. "We have to do something!" Before either of them knew it, the rocky hill was covered with Ooze soldiers, at least four dozen of them by Zordon's first count.

"Get behind me!" Zordon yelled, handing the chest with the crystals to Alpha. "Protect the crystals!" One the Ooze men leapt into action, converging around the pair. Raising the Staff of El over his head, Zordon leapt into action, taking on all of the soldiers at once. At first, his headstrong attacks took them by surprise, and he fended off their first wave. But, as they began to attack more sparingly, Zordon found his earlier tactics to be useless, and had to acquire a defensive stance to defend both himself and Alpha.

Zordon struck at his foes with kicks, fists, and energy bolts fired from the staff, but for each one he struck down, 10 more seemed to take its place. After over an hour of the intense combat, he began to tire. He knew the battle was futile. Strong as he was, he could not face down an army single handed. The original four dozen had seemingly grown to ten dozen, but Zordon was not about to give up.

Just when all seemed to be lost, Zordon, Alpha, and their foes turned at the sound of hooves hitting the ground, and cries of battle. Standing before the setting sun were six warriors atop horses. Each warrior wore a distinct color, which Zordon realized were the colors of their respective dinosaur tribe. They were also the colors of the crystals. They all wore the same style white pants, but seemed to have different tops, each corresponding to their specific tribe. There were five men, all teenaged, and one girl of the same age.

The warrior in red came forward on his horse, raising a sword into the air and screaming our one prolonged syllable.

"For the Grove!" he yelled to his comrades. With his scream, the tables of battle turned as nearly 200 warriors rushed forward into sight, all human and adorned in the colors of the tribes. The six warriors, and their reinforcements, rushed forward, into the fray, and Zordon redoubled his efforts as well. Now it was the Ooze soldiers who found themselves on the defensive as the tables of battle were turned. It took less than 15 minutes for the humans and Zordon, with Alpha at his side, to stave off the Ooze soldiers' attacks. None of the dark assailants were left alive; the ground wet with the purple liquid these mindless golems turned into when they died. Zordon turned to the horse warriors.

They at first seemed hesitant, not knowing what to think of this stranger and the strange being holding a small chest that followed him.

"It is alright," Zordon called out to them, laying the Staff of El on the ground and showing them the palms of his hands. "I have come a long way to stand alongside you in your cause. I am called Zordon, and this is my trusted associate Alpha 5. We have much to discuss with you, warriors of Earth."

The red clad warrior drew his sword in a threatening manner once again and pointed it at Zordon. "I am Geiki, of the Tyrano tribe! We know nothing of you or your associate. You will be searched an interrogated as prisoners of war until your identities can be confir.."

Before he could finish speaking, the female warrior in pink rode her steed forward towards the pair, a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over her back.

"Mei!" Geiki called out to the girl as she slowly passed him.

"It is alright," she called back to Geiki. "They fought alongside us. They are brothers in arms. They should be treated as honored guests, not as prisoners." She dismounted her steed and stood before the strange pair. "I am Mei, princess of the Ptera Tribe. We are honored to meet you, great warrior Zordon."

Zordon returned her warm smile. "It is us who are honored princess Mei," he said with a small bow. Please allow us just a small amount of your time and we will explain ourselves in full. However, I would recommend moving to a more secure location."

Geiki was the next to jump down from his horse. He approached Zordon and Alpha, though it did not go unnoticed that his sword was still drawn. "You will follow us back to our camp. You may explain yourselves to the elders."

The human camp was a meager warrior camp; set up in a valley between two stone mountains of the dessert Zordon's ship had landed in. Tents for the warriors were spread out almost randomly, with a fire pit in the center. It was evening by the time they had arrived at the camp, and the fire pit was alive with a massive bonfire. The warriors had received a hero's welcome from their compatriots when they returned. Zordon had noticed that the camp was not made entirely of warriors, but of refugees as well. It seemed that all of the free humans were gathered together there.

Mei had filled Zordon and Alpha in on the hierarchy of the resistance as they made their way to the camp. The six tribes had come together to form an army to oppose Ooze, rightly believing that six tribes acting on their own would not even dent the armor of their enemy.

Each tribe had an elder, and the six elders ruled over the collective tribes. Mei and the other five warriors on horseback were knights and royalty from the different tribes who served as generals of the combined military force. They were Goushi, the Mastodon Knight in black; Boi, the Tiger Knight in yellow; Burai, the Dragon Prince in green; Dan, the Tricera Knight in blue; and Geiki, the Tyrano Knight in red. Most of them had lost family in the war against Ooze. Mei, who had lost her father to Ooze, was the only one to really talk with the strangers.

The six generals and the elders stood before Zordon and Alpha in the largest tent in the camp. The elders sat behind the generals, who did all of the talking. They all stood in silence while Zordon explained the story of how they had come to arrive on Earth.

"So, Zordon of Eltar," Goushi said. "You are going to save us all. How?"

"Yes," Boi replied. "What good will one more man and a robot do for our army? We are systematically being slaughtered by these invaders."

"I come to you not just with the strength of my arm or the power of my magic," Zordon said, nodding to Alpha who still held the chest containing the crystals tight. On Zordon's nod, he slowly opened the chest and the six crystals glowed brilliantly, instantly warming the room. The generals and elders looked on in wonderment.

"These crystals contain a great power," Zordon said. "I know that it is no coincidence that the guardian beasts and colors they represent align perfectly with your six tribes. I believe these crystals can empower their wielder with an incredible power which can drive Ooze from your planet and maybe end his threat to the galaxy!" The 12 humans in the room looked at him with varying emotions. The elders kept their faces blank, while Mei and Dan seemed to gaze at him in wonderment, fully believing what he was saying. Geiki, Goushi, and Boi seemed skeptic, while Burai openly scoffed.

"You believe that six warriors armed with mere weapons and magic crystals can stand against an alien empire that spans the galaxy?" Burai exclaimed. "I was rescued from Ivan's slave camps. I've seen Ooze face to face, and I know what he is forcing the people of our planet to build. Machines of massive power which can level an entire world. Nothing can stand up to that."

"Victory will not come with the sword alone young Burai," Zordon said. "I know Ivan Ooze. I have stood face to face with him as well. And I have heard the reports of his machines of death. I believe that these crystals, coupled with Eltarian technology, careful planning, and the assistance of allies outside of this world will be enough to bring Ivan down. I knew it was destiny to come to this world. I just knew that by coming here I would be able to turn the tides of this war, and now destiny has given us the opportunity to do just that! All I need are six volunteers. All I need are six protectors, six warriors, six…rangers if you will, to stand submit to the power these crystals hold. I will train the volunteers myself and I will help you to drive this pestilence from your world forever!"

There was silence in the tent for a moment. The elders, adorned in their white robes, striped with the colors of their respective tribes seemed to stand as one. Then, together, they each raised their right arms, palms facing Zordon, with a sign of their approval. They had given their blessing to Zordon's cause.

"I will stand with you!" Mei said, stepping forward. "Let me represent my tribe with you!" Zordon smiled warmly and gestured toward the chest. She stepped toward Alpha and grasped the pink crystal in her hand. The instant she touched it she began glowing a pale pink. The rush of power she felt was indescribable. She stepped back with the rush, causing the others to stiffen in alarm, thinking that maybe the crystals had been a trap after all. But Mei turned towards them and gave them a warm reassuring smile. "It's alright!" she exclaimed. "It's wonderful!"

Dan was the next to step up to Alpha. "This could work…It could really work couldn't it?"

"I believe so," the little robot replied. Dan reached forward and took the blue crystal in his hand. The blue glow enveloping his body.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed as the warmth spread throughout him.

"I'll be next," Goushi said, stepping up and taking the black crystal in his hand. He screamed in exhilaration as the glow surrounded him.

Boi ran up to Alpha excitedly, taking the yellow crystal and falling back when the power hit his small form. However, ever the acrobat, he righted his fall into a back roll and came back up to his feet, fully glowing yellow. Geiki gazed at Burai who stood unmoving next to him. Giving a weary smile he trudged up to Alpha, claiming the red crystal as his own.

"Incredible!" he exclaimed as the red glow took him over. "You were right!" he said to Zordon. "Forgive me for doubting you."

"It is alright," Zordon replied. "You were right to be cautious. It is the mark of a true leader."

The five glowing warriors each turned and looked at Burai, who still stood like stone in place, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Then, finally, Burai stepped forward, reaching out for the green crystal. He looked at Zordon.

"Let's destroy that purple bastard and kick him off our world,' he said as he took up the green crystal. Zordon nodded to him in agreement.

"You six are Earth's greatest chance for liberation and peace," Zordon said. "Come with me, let me train you. I will teach you how to harness your power as we learn the secrets of the crystals together. You will be the team of legend, and you will follow me into fire and victory. It will not be easy, and it will not be enjoyable. But together, we will succeed. I promise you, your planet will be free!

"I will give you all one last chance to return your crystal and step down from the team if that is what you wish. Know that you follow me by choice." He waited a full minute, but none of the six faltered even for an instant. Zordon's words had reached them. With the blessing of the six elders, it was time for his new warriors to begin their training.

"Welcome then humans," he said, "and may the power protect you."

Author's Note: I find myself once again apologizing for the delay in this next installment. Your comments and favoriting this story have been what makes me continue with it though. Please respond more and give me your feedback. The more feedback I get, the more I will be motivated to get this out faster.

So the first ranger team is set and ready to begin their training! Did anyone notice that they're the Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger team? That's the team from Japan that MMPR was based off of. I thought it would be a nice little homage to the original series.

Things really heat up from here! The next chapter will focus on their training and the construction of the dinozords! Then it's off to war!


	8. Chapter 8: It's Morphin' Time!

**Zordon of Eltar: Chapter 7: It's Morphin' Time!**

Zordon had assembled his fighting force at long last, but there was still much work to be done, and plans needed to be formulated. This was war after all, and against a being such as Ivan Ooze, to rush headstrong into battle would be paramount to utter foolishness on Zordon's part.

He had spent the better part of three Earth weeks working with these six humans, training them to harness the power of the crystals. They took to it well for the most part, but Zordon was beginning to have his doubts that the power of the crystals alone would be enough to strike at Ivan and these death machines he had been constructing here on Earth.

Mostly, Zordon and his companions had been working out of the cave he had terraformed atop the mountain where Zordon's ship had first landed. Alpha had removed many of the computers from the ship's hull, spreading the consoles around the rocky cave. With Zordon's guidance, he had even created a more primitive version of an Eltarian viewing globe, so that they could remain abreast of the situation throughout the planet.

Zordon sat in silent contemplation as the six humans engaged each other in training exercises. Geki sparred endlessly with Burai, as Geki's short sword met Burai's ornate dagger over and over again. Goushi and Mei worked side by side on target practice. Zordon had recently bestowed upon Mei a new bow and arrow set which she had actively begun training with. Goushi was able to throw his silver hatchet with deadly accuracy. As Mei hit the center of a makeshift target they had set up, Goushi followed it up by splitting the arrow in two with a mighty throw of his hatchet. Boi and Dan toiled in endurance and agility training. One would dive at the legs of the other, who would perform a graceful flip over his comrade, landing on his feet and then diving at the legs of the other. This continued in an endless cycle, and would continue until Zordon asked them to stop.

The humans had seemingly learned how to harness the power of the crystals masterfully. They were granted increased strength, accuracy, agility, and overall combat prowess. However, there was very little else they could learn through simple exercise. The time had come for them to make their first strike against Ivan's forces. Zordon however was torn in this decision. He knew that the humans needed their first true challenge, but fear tugged at the back of his mind. In the previous weeks, Zordon and the humans had grown very close. The bond forged from a common cause had brought them all closer. Zordon felt responsible for their well being, almost like a father.

This concept was so foreign for one of Eltarian descent. On Eltar, the bonds between parents and children were non-existent, as most Eltarian children, after being born of the giant birthing matrixes of Eltar, never even knew who their parents were. Zordon began to think that the birthing houses were a fundamental weakness of the Eltarians. The attachment he felt for the humans allowed him to draw more passion for the mission. He needed to protect these people and their planet, and it was a highly personal mission for him.

"Gather together, everyone!" he called to his warriors. At once they stopped their exercises and trotted over to the mouth of the cave, where Zordon had been sitting. Gone was the trepidation and mistrust they had initially felt for Zordon, and their eyes all shone with trust and fondness, particularly in Mei, who had really taken to Zordon, seeking a father figure in her life after hers had been murdered by Ivan. The gathered warriors eagerly awaited their new orders, which they thought would no doubt be some new form of exercise.

"The time for training has passed," Zordon said to them. "You have mastered the power in the crystals, and can call upon it at will. You have exceeded all expectations, and I am very proud of you all." He could see the warriors try to hide the smiles of excitement and pride they felt at his words. "However, now is the time for your first true test; you must test your new powers against the forces of evil for the first time."

"Do you mean it's finally time to take on Ivan?" Geki asked, his voice dripping with excitement.

"No Geki," Zordon replied. "We are not prepared for that feat yet. We must not be headstrong. We may only have one chance to take out Ivan, and we need to bide our time." He saw understanding flash in Geki's eyes, and continued. "Your fellow humans need your help. Come into the cave with me and I will show you your first target."

Zordon took up the Staff of El and gestured for the six to follow him into the cave. As they entered, they saw Alpha 5 fussing about the small space, pressing various buttons on the blue and gold consoles, which had been spread out in a circle.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" the little robot squealed. "I have to recalibrate the pozytronic circuitry again!"

"There will be time for that later, Alpha," Zordon said, holding up a hand to stop his busy companion. The six warriors looked on Alpha with amusement. His neurotic nature and fussy attitude had been a source of levity for the humans since coming to this place to train. "The humans are ready for their first mission."

"Ay-yi-yi, really? Oh, I knew this day would come. You all must promise me you'll be careful."

"We will be Alpha," Boi said with a smile. "With these crystals we can't be beat. You don't have to worry." Zordon's brow furrowed at this comment. He hoped that his charges were not taking this lightly, and becoming too complacent with their new powers.

"Behold the viewing globe," Zordon said. The globe flickered to life, casting its glow around the cave. It showed a work camp in the middle of a rocky wasteland, as human slaves, clad in purple rags, toiled under the watchful eye of Ivan's Ooze Soldiers. Some cracked whips, striking unlucky human slaves in the backs, knocking them to the ground roughly. "Your fellow humans are in need of your assistance, my warriors. Your first mission will be to liberate this slave camp. Once you have defeated Ivan's soldiers, you will need to destroy this pillar." The globe shifted to show a large purple and black spike erupting from the ground. "Once this is destroyed, Alpha will be able to teleport the slaves to your resistance camp. The pillar causes interference which disallows any and all outside tech."

"We can do this," Burai said quietly, gripping the handle of his dagger tightly. "They will never even know what hit them."

"The camp is populated by two dozen of Ivan's soldiers. Defeating them will be no easy task."

"We're ready, Zordon," Geki said. "We won't fail you." Zordon smiled warmly at his six warriors.

"Very well; go then, and may the power protect you!"

One of the first things Zordon and Alpha had done after bringing the humans to their makeshift command center was to use the ship's computers to tap into the power source of the crystals. This allowed Alpha to remotely take control of them, and made teleportation possible.

The six warriors were little more than colored streaks of light in the sky as they hurtled toward their destination. They would have to land outside the perimeter of the camp, as that black and purple pillar would not allow them to teleport directly into the site. The six landed half a mile outside of the work camp. Geki immediately stepped forward, noting their surroundings.

"We're not too far from my tribe's old lands," he said. "I know this area well." He drew his sword and addressed the others. "Let's be ready for anything, guys." There was a silent nod of agreement from the other five, as they drew their weapons and began carefully creeping up to the camp.

Perched atop a rocky precipice which dangled over the work site, the six warriors took in their target. They saw the Ooze soldiers toiling away and barking orders at the human slaves in unintelligible garbles. The slaves looked miserable, and beyond and semblance of hope. They endlessly mined the rock and ore surrounding the camp, pulling out any precious metals they were able to find.

"This is terrible," Burai said.

"Guys," Dan said slowly, "we have to stop this." A sharp gasp of horror from Mei made them all look in her direction.

"What's wrong?" Goushi asked the pterra warrior.

"Look at that," she said in a shocked and awed tone. The others moved to her position and gazed at what she was able to see from her angle. Behind an outcropping of rock that had restricted the views of the others, they saw it. It looked like the frame of a giant shining metal scorpion.

"What is that thing?" Geki asked in terrified awe.

"It's what these slaves have been working on all this time," Burai said, remembering his time in one such slave camp. "Machines of unimaginable power and strength which could raze and entire planet in a matter of hours; that's what Ivan's been after this whole time."

"We need to shut this down!" Geki said. "Let's get to it, guys!"

"Right!" they all said in unison.

The six began to focus on the power that lay in their respective crystals and each began to glow their respective color. Geki held his sword out in front of him and leapt off of the cliff face. The others followed behind them, as Geki landed on his feet in front of a squad of ooze soldiers, kicking the lead soldier in the solar plexus and sending him flying backwards before exploding on the camp's rocky wall.

For a moment nobody moved, and then one of the soldiers shouted something in their unnatural language, and as one, the soldiers attacked.

Zordon was watching with baited breath as his warriors fought valiantly against Ivan's soldiers. The ooze creatures were completely overwhelmed and outmatched by Zordon's team. The power of the crystals was mighty indeed. Each warrior took on three or more of the beasts at once, and seemed to not even break a sweat in doing so. Zordon was swelling with pride as he saw the way all their training paid off. They were fighting as one, a true team.

They drew the creatures back, away from the human slaves who watched in silent wonder. This way there would not be any civilian casualties in their battle. Zordon was happy, but in the back of his mind, he felt as though this was somehow too easy, and a feeling of dread overtook him.

As the warriors continued their assault on the slave camp, Geki felt a rush of power like never before. He was finally doing some real good. The six of them were doing a job that would have taken sixty resistance soldiers to handle. There were now only five of the ooze creatures left alive, and the six warriors converged on them, driving them against the mountain wall at the far side of the camp.

"Alright guys, let's finish it up!" he said. The others nodded in silent agreement as they converged on the creatures. As one they descended upon their prey, using their hands, feet, and weapons to tear the beasts apart. Soon there were none left standing and the human slaves let out a triumphant cheer of jubilation to their new saviors.

The six smiled sheepishly, waving to the slaves, assuring them that their days of hard labor were over. All that remained would be to destroy the pillar and teleport them all to safety. Geki drew his sword and ran at the pillar. As he was about to strike, he heard a loud screeching sound, almost like a giant crow. Before he could see what it was, a taloned foot struck him across the bridge of his nose. He flew backwards, landing next to the others. The slaves had gone deathly silent and Geki's allies looked on in terrified awe. When Geki looked up he saw them. There were twelve, five foot tall bi-ped bird creatures, which circled them overhead. They cackled in endless, almost taunting cries. Their feathers were as black as midnight and they wore purple armor on their bodies.

The creatures surrounded the six warriors, and charged as one.

"Ay-yi-yi, Zordon!" Alpha screamed. "Tengu Warriors!"

"Tengu?" Zordon said in shock.

"Yes. We saw them on Edenoi. They are Ivan's version of the Tenga warriors of the dark realms!"

"I've heard of the Tenga Warriors. If these are anything like those, then our warriors could be in trouble."

"Perhaps we should recall them."

"We can't as long as the pillar remains intact. We just have to hope that the humans can handle it!"

But it seemed as if the warriors were completely outmatched by the Tengu. Zordon watched helplessly as their weapons bounced harmlessly off the Tengu's armor, and the added strength of the crystals barely budged them. It was a slaughter.

Boi was the first one to go down, as a Tengu pecked him in the eye with its sharp beak. He went down in a heap clutching at the bloody mess that was his right eye. Dan was smashed in the head with a large rock, his scalp splitting open as a crimson mask of blood covered his face. Goushi fought valiantly against three at once, but eventually, with all three of them pounding away at his midsection, even the power of the crystal couldn't protect him from the internal injuries he suffered. He fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Mei was lifted into the air by one of the Tengu and dropped from a great height. She screamed the whole way down before breaking both of her legs on the rocky ground and falling unconscious.

Only Burai and Geki were left standing as they both fought valiantly, back to back, in a six to one battle. Eventually, one of the Tengu scored a kick to Burai's left arm, shattering it at the elbow joint and causing him to drop to the ground in a heap. This left only Geki standing.

"I can't just watch this anymore!" Zordon exclaimed. "I'm going to help them!" As Zordon turned to the mouth of the cave, Alpha screamed for him.

"Zordon, look!"

The sky on the battle field grew even darker, and purple lightning struck the ground before Geki. When the smoke cleared, Ivan Ooze was standing there, a look of mild annoyance on his features. Zordon's heart threatened to stop.

"Prepare the computer for teleportation!"

"But, Zordon…"

"Do it, Alpha!" Zordon sprinted for the cave entrance, summoned the Staff of El to him, leapt into the air and took off into the sky as fast as he was able. He was a white streak slicing through the sky.

"_Please hang on,"_ he thought.

The bird creatures halted their endless attack in the presence of their master. Only Geki was left standing, facing the pestilence that had destroyed his tribe and nearly his entire planet.

"Well," Ivan said; his hands on his hips. "Will you look at this mess? You kids have been very bad."

"Monster," Geki spat. "you're going to pay for what you've done!"

"Gee, you've got a big mouth, boy," the purple demon spat, taking on a more serious demeanor. "I hope you can back that all up."

"I'll more than back it up!" Geki yelled, charging towards Ivan, with his sword held high. Before he could reach him however, a white streak burst onto the scene between them.

Zordon arrived just in time. As he hit the ground between Geki and Ivan, he acted immediately. He swung the Staff of El in a graceful arc. At the arc's apex, a white bolt of lightning struck the top of it, electrifying the staff as Zordon continued the swing.

In the split second before the strike fell, Ivan's yellow eyes shone with recognition.

"You!" he screamed, immediately recognizing the Eltarian youth that had escaped from him in his initial assault on Eltar. Before Ivan could act, Zordon struck him with the charged staff in the center of the chest. The white electricity coursed through Ivan, and sent him flying back into the mountain wall. Boulder tumbled from the mountain with the force of the blow, burying Ivan beneath them. The Tengu were in shock and Geki was dumbfounded at the display of power he had just witnessed.

Not even taking a moment to be surprised at the blow he had landed, Zordon turned, firing a bolt of white energy from the staff at the purple and black pillar, destroying it. In the rubble pile where Ivan had landed, purple electricity began to crackle. With a mighty roar, Ivan threw the boulders off of him and glared with hate filled fury at Zordon. No one had ever taken Ooze off of his feet before, and Ivan would not give Zordon time to brag about this accomplishment.

"NOW ALPHA!" Zordon screamed into the sky. Ooze roared in rage and shot purple lightning from his fingertips at Zordon. But a split second before it hit, Zordon, the six human warriors, and all of Ivan's human slaves, vanished in a burst of light.

Ivan's scream of fury could be heard planet wide.

Zordon and the six warriors landed on the ground just outside the cave. Geki and Zordon were the only ones standing. The others all laid on the ground, writing in pain or unconscious.

"Alpha," Zordon yelled into the cave. "We need medical equipment, immediately!"

As Alpha administered aid to each of the injured warriors, Geki stood alongside Zordon, watching the sun set.

"That was amazing," Geki said. "The power you displayed back there…" Zordon merely looked grim.

"I caught him by surprise, Geki," he said. "In an open battle, he would have torn me apart. He's just too strong."

"Still," Geki said, "I had no idea you commanded that kind of power."

"I don't," Zordon replied. "That energy came from the Earth itself. I used my staff to tap into the elemental power of the Earth. It's stronger than any other planet I've ever heard of."

"We failed you," Geki said. "I'm sorry, I blame myself."

"You couldn't have known that the Tengu and Ivan himself would show up. You were ill prepared. Not protected enough by the crystals. This failure is mine, not yours."

"Don't blame yourself, Zordon. The others will be fine and the slaves from that camp are free. If only we were able to tap into the planet's energy like you can…" Zordon looked bolt upright at Geki.

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

"What?"  
"You will need power from the planet itself! This planet has power to spare. You humans will defend your home with the _power_ of your home." Zordon turned and trotted into the cave, leaving Geki to stare after him.

The five injured warriors were healing nicely, and at an accelerated rate. The crystals, coupled with the Eltarian medical technology in Zordon's ship, allowed Alpha to mend bones, heal lacerations, and even regrow the tissue in Boi's eye at a quick pace. It would take roughly two Earth weeks for them to heal.

Adding to Alpha's stress was the fact that Zordon had vanished, after speaking vaguely about harnessing the Earth's energy. For the entire first week that the warriors were healing, Zordon was missing. Towards the end of that week, he returned, shirtless, with scorch marks on his face, and sweat pouring off of him.

"Ay-yi-yi, Zordon; where have you been?"

"I'm sorry to worry you, my friend," Zordon said with a fond smile. "But I am not done with this new mission yet. I came to check on the progress of our warriors and to ask you to help with the next stage of my plan."

"Of course I'll help, Zordon, what do you need?"

Zordon spread a large design on the console in front of Alpha.

"Our warriors were too vulnerable. The Tengu were able to rend bone and tear flesh too easily. To effectively fight, they will need armor. However, to be effective, the armor must be accessible at any time. I need you to develop a system to tap into the power of the crystals, and allow a metamorphosis to occur."

"I see, Zordon. This is a great idea! The armor will increase the power of the crystals exponentially!"

"Precisely," Zordon said smiling. "Now, where are our ailing warriors? I would like to check on their progress."

"Geki is out training. But the others are still healing inside the ship." Zordon nodded and walked over to the hull of his ship, entering and looking around. Since the computer consoles had been removed, there was a lot more room inside the vessel. Alpha had outfitted it with several beds, upon which laid the injured warriors. They all seemed to be asleep when he entered, with adhesive healing pads stuck to their bodies. Zordon smiled sadly and turned to leave.

"Zordon?" he heard a weak female voice say from behind him. He turned to see Mei, lying on one of the many beds, looking up at him. Zordon knelt next to the bed and put his hand on the pterra warrior's forehead.

"Yes, Mei. How are you feeling?"

"We'll all be fine. Zordon, what are we going to do? We were completely outmatched out there."

"Don't worry Mei. I have a plan which will help us. I'm sure Ivan is looking for us, now that he knows I am on the planet. But Alpha has counter measures in place. They will not find us until we are ready to face them." She smiled and seemed to drift off.

"Good," she said, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

For another two weeks Zordon remained in isolation. He spent his time deep within the center of the Earth, using the planet's own energy for their cause.

He hovered shirtless over a large lake of magma, sweat pouring off of him as he used the energy there to forge the powerful materials he would need for his master plan. Large chunks of metal rose from the magma, which Zordon used the planet's energy to mold and form, before dropping it back down. Soon his masterpiece would be done.

Alpha had worked tirelessly on Zordon's request. The warriors, having since healed were back to their training, though they seemed disheartened by their defeat at the taloned hands of the Tengu Warriors.

Alpha tried to pay it little mind, as Zordon's request to create a process in which the warriors could morph into armor, was proving to be very difficult. To accomplish this task, Alpha was forced to create a whole new subsystem in the computers, which he dubbed the morphing grid. It seemed like an extreme coincidence when, just as he put the final finishing touches on the grid, Zordon walked through the cave entrance for the first time in weeks, a weary smile on his face.

"It's done, Alpha."

"On my end too Zordon! The morphing grid is ready to go!"

"Excellent, my friend. Assemble the humans, I must speak with them."

The six gathered in front of the cave as Zordon stood before them.

"I know you've all wondered where I've been these last few weeks," he said to his team. "Alpha and I have been taking precautions to ensure that our defeat will never be repeated. I have developed a plan to finally end this Ooze War for good. But, it will be dangerous and it involves all of us working together." The warriors all nodded, and Zordon continued.

"These machines of death being built by Ivan will be completed any day now. I have learned that he calls them Ecto Morphicon Titans. They must be destroyed. Unfortunately, Ivan is personally overseeing their completion, and thus we will not get a chance to take them down until they are activated." Zordon thought he saw signs of doubt in the eyes of his warriors, but he continued on. "I feel that we need to fight fire with fire. And to that end, I give you the means to accomplish this feat." Zordon gestured to the area around them and an enormous crack opened in the Earth.

From it, six massive machines rose into view. Each one corresponded to a particular warrior's dinosaur guardian. The warriors looked on in complete awe, gasping at what they saw.

"Behold," Zordon said, "your Dino Zords!" The machines roared to life, powered by the planet's energy. "These great machines will match the power of Ivan's Ecto Morphicons! You can each operate your own independently, or bring them all together to form the ultimate fighting machine, the mighty Megazord!"

"This is amazing!" Goushi screamed.

"I can't believe this!" Dan added. "Ivan doesn't stand a chance!"

"There's more," Zordon said smiling. "I've fashioned for you armor and new weapons. Alpha has worked tirelessly to allow you to morph into your armor at a second's notice. Your weapons function the same as your Zords do, and if you bring them together, they will form a powerful cannon capable of punching a hole in the universe itself! You will be transformed into rangers of power, capable of defending your planet from Ooze, and any other threat that dares to loom before you!"

"Power Rangers!" Alpha exclaimed.

"I like the sound of that," Boi said. All of the rangers were now smiling broadly.

"Power Rangers…" Geki repeated. "I think we're onto something here."

"Yes," Zordon said. "From this day forth you will be Mighty Morphing Power Rangers! It is time to save your world, my friends." Zordon gestured with his hands, and the crystals floated up from around the necks of the six rangers. They began to circle Zordon, who channeled power from the Earth beneath him, resulting in a brilliant white light. When the light cleared, the six crystals had been transformed into six coins.

"Power coins," Zordon explained, "easier to carry than the crystals themselves, and more compatible with Alpha's morphing grid." He gestured to the rocks around him, six small rocks rose from the ground, each converging on a coin and transforming into a small silver and black machine, in which the coins rested. Each power morpher floated back to its respective ranger, who eagerly took it.

"Now," Alpha said, "you have only to raise your power morpher into the sky and call out your guardian beast's name, and the morphing grid will take care of the rest!"

"Now," Zordon said, "it's morphing time!" The six rangers looked at each other, nodded and raised their morphers into the sky.

"Dragon Zord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber Tooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

With that, the area filled with a bright light, and when it faded, the armored Power Rangers stood for the first time, with their new weapons in hand. Zordon and Alpha were beaming with pride.

"Excellent!" Zordon exclaimed.

"You did it!" Alpha yelled, jumping up and down with his arms in the air.

"And now, the power will protect us all!" Zordon said.

Hope was alive again.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHEW! That one took a long time to get out, and I'm sorry for that! It's your wonderful praise and comments that keep me believing in this story! Please keep them coming and I promise to be more timely with the next one! If you thought this chapter had some action, you aint seen nothing yet! Zordon's plan is revealed in the next chapter and I hope you're ready for the Dino Megazord and Dragon Zord vs. the Ecto Morphicons and Zordon (with a little help from some old friends) vs. Ivan Ooze! **


	9. Chapter 9: The Drums of War

**Zordon of Eltar: Chapter 8: The Drums of War**

The site at the slave camp, where moments earlier several hundred human slaves and a small band of rebels had vanished into thin air, was tense indeed. Ooze soldiers and Tengu Warriors alike shook with fear as their creator and master paced back and forth in front of them, his calm demeanor disguising the unquestionable rage coursing through him. Ivan stopped his incessant pacing and slowly turned toward his subordinates.

"Can any of you tell me exactly how six human pre-pubescents, managed to sneak into one of our camps, liberate hundreds of my slaves," Ivans calm demeanor suddenly broke as he rounded on his servants, "AND VANISH INTO THIN AIR!" At his bellow, the winds picked up in ferocity, blowing all of his warriors off of their feet. With a scream of inhuman rage, Ivan thrust his arms into the air, loosing purple lightning from his fingertips, as if he were trying to scorch the sky itself for being the means of his foes' escape.

As he brought his arms down, Ivan's breathing erupted in short gasps, as he attempted to compose himself. This was, after all, not the doing of those meddlesome humans, it was _him_. The last free Eltarian in the galaxy, Zordon of Eltar, it had been he who had facilitated the human's victory. It was inconceivable to Ivan that this one bothersome youth of Eltar, whose escape on Eltar he had viewed as a mild annoyance, had not only struck a great blow to the construction of his Ecto Morphicon Titans, but a great blow to Ivan himself. The cheap shot had caught Ivan off guard, and blown him into the side of a mountain.

While nowhere near strong enough to do him any permanent harm, the attack had taken him off of his feet. It had been many centuries since the morphological being had felt the sensation of pain, and he had liked it even less now then he had remembered it. The fact that this Zordon was able to take him off of his feet, and cause him a small margin of pain made Ivan worry a bit. There was no being in the universe capable of doing that, so this Zordon, left unchecked, could become the most powerful warrior in the universe if Ivan continued to ignore the problem. He could not allow even one loose end to remain open; not while he was so close to activating his glorious creations. Finding Zordon of Eltar had just become priority one for the whole of the Ooze Empire.

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*WEEKS LATER*

Zordon looked across the blazing fire they had created outside of the cave. He sat around it, along with Alpha and the newly named Power Rangers of Earth. This night was particularly frigid. It was almost as if the planet itself was worrying over what was about to transpire the following day.

They were on the eve of battle, and each being sitting around the fire knew that in a few short hours, they were to face the battle of their lives. Zordon's concern for his young charges was great indeed. Their first real test of the power coins would be one of the greatest battles the universe had ever seen. Every single person around the fire had a part to play in the upcoming struggle. Even Alpha had a very important part to play in the battle against Ooze. Alpha's role, in actuality, would prove to be the most important of all to Zordon's plan. He hoped that the fussy robot would be alright, and make it out of the battle unscathed.

The rangers and Alpha had listened intently to his plan intently, and had spent the last week preparing mentally and physically. Alpha had been toiling away in the cave, constructing the device necessary to the plan, while the Rangers had continued to familiarize themselves with the metamorphosis process, their new weapons, and the operation of the new Zords. Zordon himself had decided to train alone, honing his body and mind, and working further with drawing out the power of the Staff of El. As he continued to work with the remarkable weapon, Zordon began to think that there was no limit its strength. He gazed down at the staff, which rested on the ground beside him. Its smooth white surface seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary alloy, from the pointed bottom end up to the stylized lightning bolt which sat atop it. Its modest appearance was quite unbecoming of the unbelievable power it could unleash. Zordon felt he would need every last bit of the staff's power before this was over.

Zordon had also busied himself by sending two telepathic messages out into the cosmos. For his part of the plan to work, he needed allies. He could not undertake his assigned task alone, and he had begun to think that his messages may not have reached his intended targets. Just as this thought pushed at his nerves, everyone around the campfire marveled at a small white owl, which fluttered down from the sky and stood near their fire.

"Beautiful," Mei said, staring at the wondrous creature.

"Thank you," echoed a crisp female that Zordon knew well. He smiled widely as strands of light surrounded the owl until it had transformed into the radiant visage of Dulcea, master warrior of Phaedos. The rangers and Alpha all seemed surprised at the sudden transformation, as Zordon rose to his feet and crossed to meet her.

When he approached, she met him with a warm and loving embrace, coupled with a long passionate kiss on the lips.

"Hey now!" Boi said, drawing laughs from the other rangers. Zordon separated from Dulcea, his cheeks flushing red.

"Look guys!" Dan remarked, "Zordon is embarrassed!" The rangers continued laughing.

"That's quite enough of that," Zordon said to his team, while chuckling. "Rangers, this is Dulcea, and she is the master warrior of the planet Phaedos." Dulcea greeted each of the rangers with a simple nod of her head. "I am very happy that you received my message and was able to make it, Dulcea."

"As am I, Zordon," she replied. "Your mission is obviously of the utmost importance, and is worth leaving the Great Power of Phaedos unguarded for a time."

Just then there was a streak of light which careened towards the camp. The rangers and Dulcea took a defensive stance, while Zordon simply smiled. It seemed his second message had reached its destination as well.

The light struck the ground before them, and the armored form of Masked Rider stood before them all when the smoke had cleared. With a gesture, the armor vanished from his body, and the bearded form of King Lexian stood before them.

"Your Highness!" Alpha exclaimed, jumping up and down. "It is wonderful to see you again!"

"And you as well, my friend," Lexian said to his former aide. He turned to Zordon. "I came as soon as I received your message, Zordon. I will lend my arm, and the Masked Rider powers to your cause."

Zordon introduced Lexian to the rangers and Dulcea. As the new members of the team got acquainted with the rangers, Zordon smiled in spite of himself; it felt good to be around friends, even on the eve of the fight of his life.

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The morning of the battle had come, and Zordon had gathered the rangers, Dulcea, Alpha, and Masked Rider around him.

"Today is the day," he said to them, "on this day we fight not just for the fate of the Earth, but for the future of the entire universe. Today we stand before one final massive confrontation, one last stand of good against a force so evil, it has saturated most of the known galaxy with its scourge. Today is the day that Ivan unleashes his Ecto Morphicon Titans upon this world, and if we fail here today, then the Earth will be razed in a matter of hours. And soon the Ecto Morphicons will crush resistance on countless worlds throughout the galaxy.

"Each of us has a part to undertake in this venture. Rangers, use your power coins and your Zords to their fullest potential. I leave the destruction of the Ecto Morphicons to you. Alpha, you must take the device you have constructed to the assigned area we have discussed. Dulcea and Lexian, you two will join me as we keep Ivan occupied so the Rangers can accomplish their task."

Everyone nodded in understanding. Their plans were set.

"Today you fight not for me, not for yourselves, but for all sentient beings everywhere. So fight hard, and fight true. Fight for the sake of countless worlds that will be liberated by our victory today. Fight for the greater good; for the light, which today will wipe the stain of this darkness from the universe for all time! Today we fight for the light! And may the power protect us all!"

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Alpha hurried himself into the cave. He had a very important job to do, and was busying himself by doing one final check on the device. Zordon's diversion team and the Rangers had all since teleported out to their specific strike points, and now it was his turn. A beep from the computer told him that the device was working properly. With an electronic sigh he set the coordinates for teleportation and gazed at his charge.

This device was the key to the plan. Ivan Ooze was a being made up of self replication protoplasm, which could not be destroyed by conventional means. It would take the force equivalent to that of a blazing comet to destroy him. Since destruction was not possible, the only conceivable way to defeat Ooze was containment. And containment was the sole source of the device he had constructed. It appeared to be an immense claw like hand, grasping a purple egg. That would serve of Ivan's prison cell for all eternity. The hyper-lock chamber had been constructed, and Alpha teleported away with it, to wait for Zordon's signal.

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Zordon, Dulcea, and Lexian now in the guise of Masked Rider stood together in a rocky mountain range on the outskirts of the Grove of Angels. The three of them knew their mission. They were to distract Ivan and keep him from the Rangers, while attempting to lure him into Alpha's hyper-lock chamber.

"Are we ready?" Zordon asked his companions.

"We are," Dulcea said, coming up to his side and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes, Zordon," Masked Rider said. "Call forth the beast and let us find battle this day."

With a deep breath, Zordon raised the Staff of El into the air, calling upon its power to amplify his voice throughout the entire planet.

"Ivan Ooze!" He bellowed into the sky. His voice reverberated throughout the entire Earth. "This is Zordon of Eltar! I know you have been searching for me, and I've decided to save you the trouble. Follow the sound of my voice Ooze, and brace yourself for the fight of your life!"

As soon as Zordon finished that sentence, a purple beam struck the ground in front of him in a massive explosion that drove the three warriors back a step. Standing in the wake of that explosion was the twisted form of Ivan Ooze. He chuckled softly to himself as the assembled three fell into defensive stances.

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When the Power Rangers arrived at the summit of a mountain range overlooking Ivan's main camp, they gasped at the sight of the completed Ecto Morphicon Titans. The silver massive hulking forms of a scorpion and a biped hornet loomed over them all. The camp was full of Ivan's ooze soldiers, and the group of Tengu warriors which had decimated them prior. At the sight of the beaked beasts, Burai began to shake with rage. At the head of the camp, standing right before the Ecto Morphicons, stood Ivan Ooze.

"Today we launch a plague of darkness that will eclipse the entire universe! Today our machines of death will crush this puny planet before turning their attention on the rest of the universe until our foul empire spans the entirety of creation!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd of monstrosities as Ivan unleashed purple lightning from his hands, engulfing the Ecto Morphicons and filling them with purple ooze. The machines moved their extremities for the first time and were given life. The cheers of the ooze creatures below were drowned out by a deafening voice reverberating throughout the camp.

"Ivan Ooze!" The unmistakable voice of Zordon cried. "This is Zordon of Eltar! I know you have been searching for me, and I've decided to save you the trouble. Follow the sound of my voice Ooze, and brace yourself for the fight of your life!"

Ivan's scream of rage was immediate and in a flash or purple he had taken to the sky, rushing toward the source of the voice.

"That's our cue!" Geki said to the others. They drew their weapons and vaulted down to the base of the camp. As one, the ooze creatures turned to look at them. The six teens heard a cackling noise from beyond them, and the source of the laugh made themselves known as the dozen Tengu Warriors floated down before them.

"I thought you humans had learned your lesson!" the lead Tengu said in a screeching voice. Geki smiled in response, turning to the rest of the team.

"Guys," he said to his comrades. "I think it's morphing time!"

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"Well, well, well," Ooze said upon seeing the three gathered warriors who had rallied together to defeat him. "This is it? Just you, a woman, and a giant insect? I have to say Z, I'm a little underwhelmed. I was expecting an army, or at least those human kids of yours to be standing with you."

"The three of us are all that is needed to stop you Ooze," Zordon spat back at him. "You've dedicated your life to evil, and thus you have forfeited your very existence! You can't live your life wading through a river of blood."

"Wow, really? I come all this way for a climactic battle to the death and you start in with a lecture? Honestly Z, the disappointments just keep coming." Ivan suddenly took on a very serious tone. "Why don't you make it up to me with some action?"

Instead of a response, Zordon fired a white bolt of lightning from the Staff of El at Ivan. At the last possible second, Ivan vanished, moving so fast that none of the warriors were able to see it. He rematerialized behind them.

"Over here!" he shouted as he thrust his arms forward, summoning powerful winds which took all three of them off their feet and hurtling into the side of the mountain. Zordon was the first to rise and leapt at Ooze, the staff coming down in an arc aimed at the evil monarch's head. Ivan sidestepped the attack, grabbed Zordon by the wrist and waist, and threw him across the battlefield. As soon as Zordon was air born, Ivan was met with the combined assault of Dulcea's staff and Masked Rider's eletro saber. Ivan simply dodged out of the way of each attack until the staff and saber met each other. Before Dulcea and Lexian could break off and redouble their efforts, Ivan sent a blast of purple lightning at each of them and then flew backward, crashing to the stony ground.

"You'll have to do a bit better than that, heroes," Ooze said, laughing. All three warriors rose back to their feet and charged the purple being as one.  
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"Dragon Zord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber Tooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

When the glare from their power morphers faded, the Tengu stood faced with six very armored, very powerful, and very angry humans. What followed was a barrage of battle as the Power Rangers fought on, charging through countless ooze soldiers and easily overcoming the power of the Tengu.

Soon the ooze soldiers were no more and the Rangers were able to give the Tengu their full attention. They shattered beaks, and tore through feathers and flesh, completely embarrassing their feathered foes.

Goushi took on four at once with his power axe. He sliced through their armor easily and blew others away with the cannon on the other end of the weapon. Boi and Dan stabbed and slashed at everything that moved, while Mei's marksmanship was 100 percent accurate each time, finding her feathered mark at all times.

Soon only one was left, and Burai and Geki took turns roundhouse kicking the creature in the face, until it's beak shattered into pieces. Geki then buried his sword deep in its chest as the Tengu collapsed to the ground dead.

Before the rangers could revel in their first true victory, the ground around them exploded in a fiery inferno. The six fell to the ground and looked up to see that the Ecto Morphicons had taken aim at them. Now fully activated and sensing the conflict, the titans began to advance on the six humans.

Inside his helmet Geki smiled. These beasts had no idea what they were about to face.

"We need Dino Zord power now!" he screamed.

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Zordon, Dulcea, and Masked Rider were finding their task much more difficult than the Rangers. Ivan had been batting them around the battlefield like toys and had thus far not even broken a sweat. Most recently he had electrocuted the ground beneath them, causing Lexian and Zordon to tumble backward in the explosion. Only Dulcea had managed to roll through it, and dashed forward to meet Ivan one on one.

Her staff was a blur as she swung over and over again at Ivan, but the ooze monster was simply too fast for her. No matter where she would swing, Ivan had moved from that position seconds earlier. She cried out in frustration.

" We really must learn to mind our temper, hot stuff," Ivan jokingly admonished her.

"Monster!" she spat, sending another volley of blows his way. "You face Dulcea, master warrior of the Planet Phaedos! You will not mock me!" Dulcea separated her staff into two and twirled them around, creating the powerful whistling sound which had rendered Zordon nearly defenseless in their first encounter.

Ivan staggered back, clutching the sides of his head as Dulcea advanced. Still spinning the two halves of her staff she connected to the side of Ivan's head with a powerful roundhouse kick, sending him stumbling back a step. She repeated the maneuver three more times before Ivan reached out with his arms, smacking Dulcea at the elbows and shattering both joints. She dropped both halves of her staff with a shriek of pain and Ivan, now infuriated, grasped her by the face and began pumping purple lightning through her body.

Zordon and Lexian were on Ivan in an instant, forcing him to drop Dulcea's convulsing form. When she fell to the ground she laid unconscious on the stone. Ivan batted Zordon aside and began to fend off Lexian's electro saber with nothing more than his left hand. Lexian continued to try breaking through Ooze's defenses, but Ivan was deflecting every attack with simple flicks of his wrist.

Finally, Ooze had enough of this latest game that he struck Lexian's sword harder than before, and broke the electric blade in two. He grasped the falling half of the sparking weapon in his hand and hurled it at Lexian, striking the Masked Rider in the chest as his own weapon's electric charge coursed through him. He fell to the ground and did not move.

Finally, Ivan turned to face Zordon. The Eltarian rose to his feet, using the Staff of El to keep him up.

"And then there were two!" Ivan declared, holding his arms out to the side. "I wanted to save you for last, big guy. I wanted you to know without a shadow of a doubt that you never had a prayer of winning this battle."

"Come on then," Zordon spat, "show me what you can do." Ivan looked amused for a moment before blurring out of sight again. Zordon never saw the attacks which struck him. He only felt the chop to the throat, knee to the face, punch to the back of the head, knee to the gut and massive bolt of lightning which engulfed him and sent him hurtling to the ground. Ivan materialized into view once again, now taking on his terrifying serious demeanor.

"You are a fool Zordon of Eltar," Ivan sent lightning coursing through Zordon's body. The Eltarian screamed in agony until the barrage ceased. "You thought you could stand against the most powerful being in the universe," another blast of lightning, "you thought you could topple the most foul empire in creation," another blast of lightning, "no you will pay the price for enacting decency in an indecent universe!"

Zordon could no longer move. His clothing was torn and scorched, his body smoldered, and blood trickled from his mouth. He was finished, but hope was not lost. If the Rangers could defeat the Ecto Morphicons then the plan could still succeed. Everything depended now on the Rangers and Alpha.

Just then, Zordon and Ooze were interrupted by the sound of two massive explosions, and Zordon laughed in spite of his situation.

"Looks like I win after all Ooze," he said, to Ivan's confusion.

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"Megazord sequence has been initiated," the pleasing baritone voice of Zordon's ship computer said. The Megazord tank rose up on two legs as the Pterodactyl Zord flew in attaching to the chest piece and allowing the Megazord's face to slide down.

"Megazord activated!"

Geki, Goushi, Dan, Boi, and Mei sat together in the cockpit of the Megazord, newly formed and ready for action. The six chord flute chime rang out over the battlefield, courtesy of Burai who controlled the mighty Dragon Zord from the top of a nearby cliff.

The Megazord advanced on the Ecto Morphicon known as Hornitor. The giant hornet met the oncoming machine with a mighty punch from one of its three fingered claws. The Rangers inside were rocked by the force of it, but redoubled their efforts as the Megazord charged forward, punching the Hornitor righgt between its compound eyes.

The Dragon Zord spun its drill like tail and swung it at the dreaded Scorpinok, Ivan's second titan. Scorpinok recoiled before firing back with several missiles from its tail. Burai watched as his Zord fell backward. "Two can play at this game," he said, playing another chord on the flute. In response, the Dragon Zord shot several missiles out of its fingertips.

The Megazord and Hornitor continued to exchange blows, their battle becoming a veritable slug fest. When Hornitor slowed down for an instant, the Megazord hammered it with two vicious punches, bringing the titan crashing down to the ground.

"We need the power sword!" Geki yelled from the cockpit. An immense sword fell from the heavens, imbedding itself in the ground. The Megazord pulled the sword from the ground but, as it advanced, Hornitor struck it with a massive power blast from its mandible, sending the Megazord crashing to the ground, smoking.

Burai had decided at this time to take the helm of the Dragon Zord personally, leaping into the tiny cockpit. Just as he took the controls however, Scorpinok unleashed a powerful burst of energy from its tail, knocking the Dragon Zord off of its feet, collapsing in a heap beside the Megazord.

"Boost the emergency power!" Geki yelled.

"Power reserves are in the red!" Boi responded.

"We have negative helm control," Mei shouted.

"Then re-route all morphing grid systems into the booster generators!" Geki replied.

"Done!" Goushi said.

With that the Megazord rose back to its feet, stopping to grab the Dragon Zord's hand and help it back to its feet.

"Thanks guys!" Burai said, as he turned back toward Scorpinok. "Let's see how you like this, ugly!" he cried out. He re-routed all of the Zord's energy into the drill tail, which began to glow green. The Dragon Zord turned, bringing the energized tail down into Scorpinok. The creature struggled for a moment, before it was completely engulfed by an explosion and fell into thousands of pieces.

Inside the Megazord, Geki rallied his teammates. "Alright guys lets finish this!"

"Right!" they all said in unison.

The Megazord raised its power sword in the air, energizing it, before slashing clean through the Hornitor's frame, causing the titan to fall to the ground and explode in a massive burst.

"We did it!" Mei yelled over the joyous cried of her comrades.

"Yeah," Geki said. "Now let's go find Zordon!"

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"What was that?" Ivan asked rhetorically to himself. Zordon laughed through his pain.

"That would be the sound of my warriors dismantling your machines," he replied.

"What!" Ooze shrieked. "You make up bold lies to buy yourself a few more moments of life!"

Just then a massive object fell from the sky, crashing just behind Ivan. He turned to see that it was the head of the Hornitor, cleaved from its body and dropped there as a message to him. He turned to see who these messengers must be and gazed upon the Megazord and Dragon Zord, standing there menacingly.

It was then that Ivan realized he had been duped. Zordon and his pathetic band of warriors had done nothing more than distracted him, while these…_children _had gone and destroyed his beautiful creations. Ivan shook with rage and glared in hatred at the two mammoth machines which had destroyed years of his work in an instant. Slowly he raised his hands, and pointed an index finger at each of these mammoth machines.

"Bang," he simply stated, shooting concentrated purple lightning at both machines before they could fire on him. The lightning engulfed both contraptions for a brief moment before they exploded in a fiery blast. The six armored humans fell from the explosion, collapsing roughly to the ground. Ivan glared at them in hatred.

"So, you brats thought you'd destroy my creations and then come here to finish me off too, is that it?" He said through clenched teeth as the warriors struggled to stand up. "Well let me tell you something, I'm more powerful than an ARMY of Ecto Morphicons! They were a vanity project! A declaration of power! A statement which you have all cut short, and for that you will pay DEARLY."

"We're not afraid of you," Geki said, struggling to rise and meet Ivan face to face.

"How fortunate that you should die then without a trace of fear. I'm sure the human race would write heroic songs of your bravery, but your actions here today have doomed not just yourselves BUT YOUR ENTIRE RACE!"

Ivan's rage hit a boiling point as the sky grew dark.  
"But first you'll watch as your mentor dies in agony," he said turning back to Zordon. The Eltarian gritted his teeth, waiting for the final blow to fall. What he did not expect was a pink blur to shoot in front of him and stop, standing between his prone form and Ivan. Mei was trying to save him.

"To get to Zordon, you'll go through me," she spat.

"And me!" Geki said, leaping over Ivan's head to stand beside Mei. The other four rangers followed suit, until they were all standing between Ivan and Zordon.

"No!" Zordon yelled. "Get out of here! Don't do this!"

"I'm sorry, Zordon," Mei replied. "But you're not dying today! Thank you for everything you've done for us!"

With that, the six warriors through their weapons into the air, bringing them together and forming the power blaster. The finishing touch came when Burai placed his dragon dagger atop the weapon. Geki pointed the massive cannon at Ivan.

"What is this foolishness?" Ivan said in disgust.

"FIRE!" all six Rangers said in unison. The blast sailed from the cannon and connected in Ivan's chest, causing a massive explosion that took the evil monarch completely off guard. Zordon and the Rangers stared on in shock when the smoke cleared and Ivan Ooze laid prone on the ground with a gaping wound in his chest.

"Did we….do it?" Boi said cautiously. Just then Ivan's finger twitched, sending a single burst of purple lightning which struck Boi in the heart, ripping through his armor and coming back out the other side. He was dead instantly.

Time seemed to stop for Zordon as Boi's body fell to the ground and, as it hit the stony floor, the armor encasing his body vanished and he was left a lifeless corpse.

"No!" Geki screamed amidst many similar cries from his comrades. Ivan struggled back up to his feet, clutching the wound in his chest.

"Noone….has….ever…done that….to me," he said, struggling through the immense pain. Burai rushed Ivan in a rage, before he had moved 10 paces, Ivan raised two fingers to the sky, and a massive explosion engulfed Burai. He fell dead to the ground, his armor evaporating off of him at the moment of death.

"Stop!" Zordon cried out to the Rangers, trying desperately to rise only to have his body fail him again and again. "You have to run!"

Goushi was the next to fall, as Ivan shot two thin beams of energy from his eyes, spearing Goushi through the heart. His armor vanished as life slipped away.

Dan and Geki rushed at Ivan, while Mei stood by Zordon. Before they reached him, Ooze vanished, reappearing behind Dan and snapping his neck. He fell to the ground cold and armorless. Geki slashed wildly with his sword, but Ivan caught it in his hand, ripped it from Geki's grasp, and used it to decapitate the red ranger.

Finally he advanced on Mei.

"Mei, please," Zordon pleaded through tears. "Run, save yourself! Please! For me!"

"I stay behind for you, Zordon," Mei said, clearly crying behind her helmet. "To run would be a slap in the face to everything you taught us." Mei fired off an arrow at the advancing Ivan. Ooze simply caught it, and threw it back, impaling Mei between the eyes through the visor. As she dropped to the ground and her armor disappeared, Zordon could only stare blankly into her lifeless eyes.

He had failed them. He had completely and utterly failed them and had led them to their deaths. Soon he would join them in oblivion, with his last thought being that he hoped Alpha would at least be able to escape the planet before its inevitable destruction.

"You thought you were so smart," Ivan said through clenched teeth, still clutching the wound in his chest. "You thought you'd outsmart and destroy ME! Well Zordon of Eltar, your destiny ends HERE!"

Just then the Staff of El came to life in Zordon's hand. The staff shook and vibrated like never before and gave off a glare so bright, even Ivan had to shield his eyes. And if he could have seen, Ivan would have seen the power coins on the belts of each of his fallen victims flare to life. The coins rose from the bodies of their owners and flew toward Zordon, embedding themselves in the staff, directly under the lightning bolt adorning the top of the staff. Zordon felt the pure energy of the staff and coins flood through his body and fill him with strength. Then he heard a voice in his mind, as if the Staff of El was speaking to him.

"Zordon of Eltar, RISE," it said.

With renewed strength and vigor Zordon rose to his feet, glaring in utter hatred at Ivan Ooze. The tears flowed freely from his eyes for his downed warriors and, should he survive this, he would grieve and honor their memories for as long as he would live.

When the glare subsided and Ivan gazed and the fully empowered Zordon, he faltered for a moment, as if he could sense the power given off by the Eltarian.

"This ends NOW!" Zordon yelled, covering the distance between them in a microsecond. With a cry of rage, Zordon struck Ooze hard across the face with the staff and Ooze flew back with the force of such an attack. Ivan, upon landed shot purple lightning at Zordon's charging form, but Zordon caught the blast on the staff and bounced it back at its originator, sending Ivan sailing through the air again. Zordon reached him in no time, grabbing Ooze by the throat and leaping into the sky with him, dragging him to where he knew Alpha was waiting.

Alpha had heard the many explosions and clashes echoing around the area as he prepped the hyper-lock chamber in another area of the mountainous battle field. It was no ready for use, and just in time it seemed as Zordin hurtled toward the ground, holding Ooze by the throat. Zordon slammed Ivan down into the ground and turned to Alpha.

"Do it!" he shouted. Alpha turned to the console. One button would be pressed and Ivan would be sealed for all eternity. But Ivan, seeing what was about to transpire, shot a blast of purple lightning at Alpha, which cleaved the small robot in two. Alpha's legs fell forward, while his torso fell back and he landed with a metallic clink on the ground.

"NO!" Zordon screamed, not wanting to believe that another ally had fallen. In this moment of distraction, Ooze acted, striking out at Zordon with the lightning and catching the Eltarian off guard. There was no taunting now, no break in Ivan's rage filled attack. Only the continuous stream of lightning pumping through Zordon's form as he thrashed on the ground.

Ivan rose back to his feet and continued pouring the lightning into Zordon, determined to kill the Eltarian warrior once and for all.

"This is IT!" Ivan shrieked while pouring the energy onto Zordon. "It's over for you and the entire universe!"

Ivan was so consumed with Zordon's destruction that he failed to hear a small voice say "Back up systems online," as Alpha 5 powered back up. Alpha, seeing the state Zordon was in, crawled toward the console controlling the hyper lock chamber, noticing for the first time that he was missing his legs. "Ay-yi-yi" he said in an exasperated tone. He reached the base of the console, pulled himself up, and slammed his metal hand down on the activation button.

The metal hand holding the egg on the machine released its grip and the egg split open. A shot of white energy burst forth from it, engulfing Ivan Ooze. At once, the force of his lightning attack stopped, and Zordon was free.

"No!" Ivan screamed, trying to fight the pull of the hyper lock chamber. The gaping wound in his chest at the hands of the Rangers had weakened him to the point that his struggles were barely keeping him from flying back into the egg. Zordon rose to his feet and stared at the struggling Ivan, who seemed desperate to rid himself of the light.

"Now the light takes you down deep into the darkness Ooze," Zordon said over Ivan's screams and the hum of the machine. "Stay there, buried forever. And let your empire become the galaxy's forgotten nightmare." Zordon balled up his fist and punched the struggling Ivan Ooze square in the jaw. This stopped Ivan's struggling and sent him hurtling into the hyper-lock chamber. The egg sealed itself shut, the fingers came down to grasp it, and Ivan Ooze, the worst evil the galaxy had ever known, was finally and decisively defeated.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The story is not over! I'm running late right now, but the Epilogue to the Ooze War should be up later today! Then Book TWO: The Zeo Crisis will continue in this same file! I'll wrap up my thoughts on the Ooze War in the Epilogue!**


	10. Book I Epilogue

**Book 1: The Ooze War Epilogue**

Zordon's knees gave out as he collapsed to the ground. He was not surprised to find himself sobbing uncontrollably. Alpha, still sans his lower half, crawled over toward his friend and ally, placing a hand on the victorious Eltarian's shoulder.

"Zordon, you don't have to cry," he said, reassuringly. "It's over! We did it! Ivan Ooze is sealed away forever! We have to go tell the Rangers."

A pang of guilt tore through Zordon, and he cried all the harder. He almost envied Alpha, so blissfully unaware; he had no clue that their young charges had been slaughtered before Zordon's eyes. They had sacrificed their lives to protect him, and in the end, it had been their power coins which had given him enough power to overwhelm Ivan.

"Alpha…the Rangers…."

"What of them Zordon?"

"They….fought valiantly."

"Of course they did!"

"Alpha…they're dead."

"…what?"

"They fell before Ivan…they were trying to protect me…" An anguished moan came forth from Alpha's vocabulator as the small robot pitched forward in despair. Zordon, with great effort, managed to pull himself over toward Alpha and give the weeping automaton a reassuring hug. Together, the two of them remained there, in the wake of the sealed hyper-lock chamber, weeping and lamenting their fallen comrades.

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**ONE WEEK LATER**

Zordon, Alpha, Dulcea, and Masked Rider stood together outside the cave which housed Zordon's spaceship. The last week had been full of tasks for them all. Their first priority was Ivan; the four of them had made sure to bury the hyper-lock chamber containing Ooze, deep underground, where no one would uncover it. Above the chamber they placed an iron covering with a demonic face engraved upon it, to ward off any who might uncover it.

They also returned the bodies of the Power Rangers of Earth to their respective dinosaur tribes. Each ranger was given a heroes funeral, and entombed together atop a high mountain, overlooking the site of the titanic battle against Ooze. Zordon and his allies attended each funeral and paid their respects to the warriors who made the victory against Ivan possible.

As for the Dino Zords, Zordon gathered together the wreckage following the battle and kept it stored deep underground, unsure whether or not he could ever bring himself to rebuild them. The power coins had dislodged themselves from the Staff of El three hours after the battle had finished. Zordon had watched as they fell from the staff one by one, each striking the ground in a gesture that was a little too symbolic for Zordon's taste. He had placed them in a small ornate treasure chest, which rested inside his ship.

"What will you do next, Zordon of Eltar?" Dulcea asked, sliding up next to him and taking his hand. "Will you return to Eltar? Or can I convince you to return with me to Phaedos?" Zordon took both of her hands in his and planted a long kiss on her lips.

"Dulcea," he said, "I've decided that I need to stay here, on Earth." She nodded solemnly, as if this was the response she had been expecting. "I feel as though I owe it to the Power Rangers to remain here, on their planet, and ensure its continued protection, as the Guardian of Earth."

"And what of you, Alpha?" Lexian asked his former aide.

"I'm going to stay with Zordon," the small robot said. He had recently been repaired by Lexian, and stood on two brad new legs. Zordon smiled over at him. "I want the Rangers to rest easy, knowing that we're still here, keeping their world safe."

"What of your power coins?" Lexian asked, turning to Zordon. "Will you entrust their power to other humans?"

"No," Zordon replied quickly, looking grim. "I will never place innocent human lives in jeopardy with the power coins again. I will keep the coins safe, and protect them, but the Rangers' battle will now be my battle to fight, alone. There's enough blood on my hands as it is, I can't stomach any more."

"Understood, my friend," Lexian said, crossing to Zordon and shaking his hand. "If you are ever in need of aid again, my Masked Rider powers are at your disposal."

"And if Edenoi ever needs my power, I will be glad to lend it," Zordon replied. The two shook hands, afterwards Lexian stepped back, activated the Masked Rider powers, and teleported away. Zordon turned toward Dulcea. "I suppose this is goodbye," he said to her sadly. She smiled at him and gave him a long, slow kiss, which made Alpha turn away in embarrassment.

"It is my sincerest hope that I shall see you again one day, Zordon of Eltar."

"And I you, Dulcea of Phaedos." They kissed once more before Dulcea stepped back, transformed back into the form of a snowy owl, and flew off into the sky. Zordon released a long sigh and turned to Alpha. "Now, my friend, we have work to do."

"Ay-yi-yi Zordon, where do we even begin?" Zordon turned to stare at the barren cliff which housed his ship.

"If we are to protect this world, then we will need a base of operations larger than just a cave with some computers strewn about. We will need a real working command center, which we can use to monitor what happens on this planet."

"Hmm," Alpha replied, "I think I may have some design ideas." Zordon smiled at his companion.

"Then let's get to work, Alpha."

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The two beings gathered together in a small dark chamber. Though they served the same cause, they could not have been more different.

The larger of the pair was simian in nature, nearly seven feet tall. His pitch black skin and hair was quite a contrast to the golden armor which covered his entire body. At his side he carried a massive wicked looking broad sword, and from behind him, sprang a pair of black feathered wings.

Beside him stood a petite woman, barely coming up to the golden warrior's shoulders. She was adorned in an ornate brown dress, with black armor like casing covering her torso. Upon her head she wore a massive hat, which converged upward into two grey points. At her side she carried a long scepter, which she could use to channel her magical abilities. Before the pair, a shimmering figure began to appear. Instantly both of them dropped to their knees in reverence.

The figure that appeared before them was adorned in blood red armor, with silver accents along his chest, arms, groin, legs, and feet. At his side he carried a pointed silver staff, with a stylized letter "Z" emblazoned on the top. From his head, a sea of midnight black hair cascaded down to his shoulder blades, framing his face which was concealed behind a terrifying silver grill and red visor.

"Oh my brave and powerful Lord Zedd!" the woman cried out from the floor. "How may your humble generals serve you?'

"Rita, Goldar," his gravely voice said from behind the grill covering his mouth, "after 10,000 years of searching, I have finally uncovered the location of that which would grant me ultimate power."

"My Lord," Goldar said, "do you mean that you have finally, in your infinite wisdom, found the location of the Zeo Crystal?"

"Yes, fool!" Zedd replied, beginning to glow a deep shade of red. "And NEVER interrupt me when I'm speaking!" Goldar winced at his master's words, while beside him, Rita Repulsa chuckled at the exchange. Goldar responded to her mockery with a low growl. "The crystal's power is emanating from the Sol solar system, near a planet called Earth."

"My liege, I will lead your army down upon this Earth, and raze every inch of the planet to uncover your most ultimate prize!" Goldar said, trying to rise back into Zedd's good graces.

"What!" Rita screeched from beside him. "What make you think _you _should lead anything monkey breath!"

"I'm the most powerful warrior in Lord Zedd's army!" Goldar bellowed back at her.

"Well I'm the most powerful sorceress!" Rita screamed back in his face.

"Your failures have cost us too many times in the past!" Goldar shouted back. Zedd watched this exchange with what passed in his twisted mind as amusement. Finally, he had heard enough.

"SILENCE!" Zedd bellowed, as his two generals immediately ceased their argument. "A more…delicate touch is needed for this project, which is why I have decided that the search for the Zeo Crystal will be a task I leave in the hands of you, Rita Repulsa."

Rita smiled broadly. "Thank you my Lord!" She said. "I promise I will not fail you!" Goldar looked as if he had smelled something quite foul. He knew better than to argue with one of Lord Zedd's command decisions, but the thought of having to serve under the command of that worthless witch was almost too much for Goldar to bear. But if it was the will of Lord Zedd, then his will be done.

"Goldar," Zedd said, facing his warrior, "you will swear fealty to Rita and serve her unquestionably, as you would me."

"Yes sire," Goldar said.

"Good," Zedd said slowly. I have spoken. Bring the Zeo Crystal before me Rita, or suffer the full extent of my wrath!"

"Yes, Lord Zedd," she replied. "This Earth will kneel before me and the Zeo Crystal shall be yours." With a nod, Zedd faded from view. Rita rose to her feet, a smug smile fully playing on her features. She glanced down at Goldar, who remained kneeling before her. She thought that she could definitely get used to that sight.

"Goldar!" she bellowed.

"Yes, Emperess," he replied, choking the words out of his mouth.

"Get Finster, tell him to pack up his work shop! We're going hunting!" Rita's insane cackling filled the chamber as she reveled in her newfound authority. "This Earth and anyone who defends it are in for a real surprise when they face the full wrath of Rita Repulsa! !"

**TO BE CONTINUED IN **_**ZORDON**__**OF ELTAR BOOK II: THE ZEO CRISIS**_

_**Authors Notes: Well folks, that about does it for Book I of Zordon of Eltar. Book II will continue in this same file and, as many of you have speculated, will be the struggle against Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. There will also be a lot of questions answered about the Staff of El, and the fate of the power coins. I can't tell you how excited I was to write this Epilogue, knowing that I was going to be writing Rita, Zedd, and Goldar for the first time. I'm sure you'll all notice that Zedd's appearance is completely different here than in the show. There's a reason for that, and I promise that, by the end of this, he will be the Zedd we all know and love. I have big plans for Zedd in this story, which I will not spoil here. I have to thank all of you guys who have left such wonderful comments on this story. If not for you, I would have probably stopped writing after Chapter 2. Special thanks to Emerald_JediRanger3791 for giving me the idea to make the Staff of El have the iconic Power Rangers lightning bolt on top of it. And a lot of you have asked me how I'm going to tie into Mystic Force and other spin offs. My simple answer to that is that I'm not going to. I'm including everything up through "In Space." I haven't seen any of the other ones, so I cant really do them justice. I don't even know what an "Animarium" is. If I happen to see some recent stuff, I'll do my best to tie it in, though I make no promises. I really hope you liked how The Ooze War turned out, and I can promise you that the Zeo Crisis will be even better! Stay tuned folks, because there's a lot more coming, next time on The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers!**_


	11. Book II Prologue

Zordon of Eltar: Book 2, The Zeo Crisis

**PROLOGUE**

The golden strands of energy burst freely forth from the skull topping the small scepter. They collided wholly with the figure in white, who flew through the air, crashing roughly to the stony road below him. Still smoldering from the attack, Zordon of Eltar rose back to his feet, Staff of El in one hand, and turned to face his opponent. Standing a few hundred yards down the city street was a figure in black, robes with long cascading black hair to match. His golden face and red mouth and eyes resembled that of a carved pumpkin.

In the 1,000 years since Ivan Ooze had been sealed away for all eternity, Zordon had tangled with this particular nuisance many many times. He was called the Wizard of Deception, and in Zordon's new role as Guardian of the Earth, he stood between the human inhabitants of the planet and the Wizard's sadistic plans for world domination. Zordon silently swore to himself that this would be their final battle.

"Fool," the taunting voice of the Wizard said from somewhere within that helmet like head of his. "You are no match for me! Today I finally put this rivalry to rest!" He shot another strand of golden magic from his scepter, but Zordon was ready this time, rolling off to the side and responding with a concentrated shot of white lightning from the Staff of El. It struck the Wizard dead on and sent him sailing backward into a building, the front of which caved in from the force of the blow.

Over the last millennium, Zordon had watched as these humans rose up from simple tribes that worshiped long extinct dinosaurs, to building large majestic cities. He would not let evil beings like the Wizard of Deception destroy all of that. When the Wizard emerged from the shell of building, Zordon was ready for him, leaping across the street at him. The Wizard attempted to strike him with the sparking head of his staff, but Zordon rolled underneath it, coming to a stop between the Wizard and the remnants of the building he had crashed through. When the Wizard turned to meet him, he was met in the face with the stylized lightning bolt that topped the Staff of El. He soared back again and Zordon, sensing an end to this destructive conflict, leapt into the air to finish him off. Lightning from the sky screamed forth, striking the bolt atop the staff, as Zordon began his downward descent.

The Wizard however was ready for him, using his magic to increase his speed as he flew up into the air, striking Zordon like a bullet. As he was mid attack at the time, the force of the Wizard's forward motion made Zordon drop the staff. It dropped to the ground with a thud, still energized and sparkling, as Zordon was carried by the Wizard up into the air. They flew together, tangled in a mess of punches, knees, and head-buts, each trying to gain the advantage. When they reached a park nearly a mile from where they began, the Wizard altered their course toward the ground. As they hurtled toward the ground, the Wizard positioned it so that Zordon would be the one who would smack into the Earth. They upturned grass for a 15 foot radius when they struck.

The Wizard climbed to his feet first, as Zordon struggled on the ground. The pain was severe, but not nearly fatal. When an Eltarian dies, their youth essence leaves their bodies, causing them to age at an accelerated rate. Eltarians normally died from old age before any injury had the time to kill them. Zordon felt no such changes in him and realized the injuries were minor.

"NOW Zordon!" The Wizard of Deception yelled, savoring the moment of victory. "I have the perfect punishment to inflict upon you! For the crime of hindering my glorious rule, I hereby banish you to the dark dimension, where you will suffer in utter blackness for all eternity!" The air behind Zordon shimmered as the Wizard opened up a portal to the dark dimension, the shimmering black gateway loomed hungrily over Zordon, and the noble master looked behind him and saw the infinite blackness which would soon envelop him.

"Farewell Zordon of Eltar!" The Wizard screamed in maniacal glee, as he sent forth destructive golden strands of magic from his wand at the fallen Zordon. The Eltarian warrior gritted his teeth, too weak to move out of the way. Just then, in the instant before the attack struck him full on, The Staff of El spun through the air and into his hands. Zordon was astounded, as he did not summon it to him. It came as if having a will of his own. The staff then continued to amaze him as it began to shine brightly, reconfiguring itself, and transforming from a staff, to a large round shield, with the visage of a roaring white tiger emblazoned on the front of it.

Zordon held the shield in front of him, absorbing the attack. The Wizard gasped in shock, giving Zordon the time to vault over his head, placing the Wizard between Zordon and the portal.

"You lose again and for good fiend!" Zordon spat at his bitter rival before hurling the circular shield at him. It struck him in the center of the stomach and hurled him toward the portal. With a scream of pain and rage, the Wizard flew in through the portal, which sealed shut behind him. The shield spun back to Zordon's hand, transfiguring itself back into the familiar form of the Staff of El. "Well," Zordon exclaimed, looking in wonder at the staff, "how about that?"

xxxxxxxxxx

"Ahh, Interesting," the grating voice of Rita Repulsa said as she stared through her telescope at Zordon of Eltar. His staff was truly impressive, and she was already trying to think of ways her magic could counteract its power. Rita stood upon the balcony of her massive palace, which was located on Earth's moon. It was tall and loud, with garish lighting emblazoned along the front, austentaciously saying "RITA'S PALACE."

Rita's search for the Zeo Crystal had not been going well. For months now she had her minions scouring the Earth in secret, trying to ascertain the ancient artifacts location, but instead, they found nothing. In her studies of this Earth, she of course became familiar with the Eltarian who acted as Earth's protector. He would be a problem and she would have to overcome that issue if she hoped to claim the crystal.

Lord Zedd would be expecting his prize soon, and Rita did not want to be the one to tell him that, so far, they had come up with absolutely nothing. Of course, were she to find the crystal, she wan't about to tell that old fool about it. Rita's ambitions led her to seek the crystal for herself. That would surely give her enough power to destroy Zedd and take control of his empire.

While the crystal remained out of her reach, her underlings had managed to find SOMETHING on the Earth. It was a massive power reading. Not as large as the crystal, but it was close. In fact, there seemed to be 6 separate readings, though for the life of her, Rita had not been able to figure out where they were coming from. It was absolutely infuriating to the newly named Empress of Evil. Whatever this energy source was, it would surely give her the edge needed over Lord Zedd. When he came looking for the Zeo Crystal, Rita would be able to turn on him once and for all, and destroy him with this power source. All that remained was to locate it.

It undoubtedly had something to do with this Eltarian Guardian who, like the energy, seemed to vanish from all means of detection after overcoming a threat. Like the power source, she could still sense him, but had no way of knowing where he had gone. Wherever he was, she was sure that the power source was there as well. Luckily, she had a plan.

"FINSTER!" she screeched, walking back into the workshop of her most faithful servant.

"Yes my queen," the scrawny white bat like monster replied, amidst the carving of yet another clay sculpture in his workshop.

"Start making Puttie Patrollers!"

"Ahh, yes your evil badness, I will begin once I have finished this latest monster who…"

"DO IT NOW FINSTER!" She screamed, making the monster maker cower in her presence. She loved it when he did that. The sound of her shrieking had drawn the remainder of her servants. Squatt and Baboo, the two moronic creatures who endlessly bumbled about in her service, and of course, Goldar, her former equal in the eyes of Lord Zedd, now eternally sworn to serve her. She took no end of satisfaction at this.

"Goldar! Get ready! You're going to be carrying out the first stage of my brilliant plan!"

"Yes my emperess," Goldar growled faithfully. "I will do as you have commanded!"

She let out a screeching laugh and stormed back to her balcony. It would only be a matter of time now!


	12. Chapter 1: Goldar

ZOE: Book II: Chapter One

Goldar

A shimmer of light greeted Alpha 5 as he toiled endlessly among the Command Center's controls. The fussy automaton flinched not one bit as his photoreceptors blurred out in a shining haze momentarily. He was so used to this sight that it barely phased him. Once the light had faded, Alpha could see the familiar form of Zordon standing before him, white robes still smoldering slightly from The Wizard of Deception's magical strikes.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" he exclaimed. "Well done Zordon! I'm sure we've seen the last of the Wizard of Deception." Zordon offered his friend a weary smile, leaning on the Staff of El for support. He was exhausted. That battle had lasted hours, and while Zordon's personal powers were tremendous, they were not without limits.

"If only that were true, Alpha," Zordon replied with a long sigh as he staggered into the center of the circle of computer monitors. "I am sure the wizard will rise once more. But I do believe it will be quite some time before he is able to free himself. We have earned ourselves a brief respite, my friend." Zordon staggered through the Command Center toward its northern most point, where sat a large clear cylinder stretching vertically up the entirety of the antechamber. Alpha, knowing full well what Zordon would be doing for the next few hours, fumbled with a switch on the console in front of him.

A large snap echoed throughout the starry interior of the chamber and the cylinder opened, extending upwards toward the ceiling. Zordon wearily climbed atop the now empty circle at its base and waited. Alpha flipped one other switch and the massive tube began a slow downward decent. Once the translucent structure had fully reached its base, Zordon's body faded from view as the entire tube began to glow. When the glare subsided, Zordon was gone, but Alpha did not panic. He knew it was only momentary. Soon the computer would lock onto Zordon's location and he would be visible once more.

A zap sounded around Alpha as the figure of Zordon's white-haired head appeared in the glass, towering over the room. The head closed its eyes for a moment before it spoke.

"Thank you, Alpha," said the voice which resounded through the room's speakers. It was a thick deep bass voice, a far cry from Zordon's calm, quiet, gentle dulcet tones. While the technology that allowed him to enter the time warp was miraculous, it was not a perfect system, and his words were translated through a subsystem in the morphing grid, which created the synthetic voice booming throughout the Command Center.

Inside the time warp, Zordon of Eltar floated peacefully, letting the energy of the vortex invigorate his aching and fatigued body. This was his special place of meditation and healing, where he could exist outside the world, in a timeless void where he could simply float and be free. He always found the experience invigorating. Alpha had also patched the morphing grid and all of the Command Center's sensors and systems into the time matrix, allowing Zordon to access the vast network with only his thoughts. While plugged into the time warp, in essence, Zordon actually WAS the Command Center itself.

And what a miracle of technology this Command Center was. It had taken nearly two hundred years to construct. It stood upon the exact spot where he had once trained the Power Rangers of old. Where he had first landed his ship, where he had told his dear friends of the battle plan which would inevitably lead to their deaths. He breathed deeply, immersed in the vortex. It would not do him good to focus on the Rangers, and the gruesome ends they had endured for him. Though he tried not to obsess over their ends, he vowed to himself long ago that he would forever honor their memory.

The technology of the Command Center was based around the mystical force of the Power Coins. Unless specifically brought there via the teleportation network, no living soul could find the Command Center unless in possession of one of the coins. And since all six coins resided in a locked chest atop a small podium off to the side of the room, no one on Earth could enter this fortress unless he or Alpha wished it.

Indeed, the impenetrable structure was truly the perfect base of operations. It had everything. The most advanced computer network in the known galaxy, a viewing globe which allowed them to keep an eye trained upon the planet, an alarm system which sought out dark powers, and even a second Command Center sitting just below them, in case anything happened to the first one. (Always good to be prepared, Zordon had told Alpha long ago)

Fatigue continued to wash over him as Zordon gave into it and relaxed. "I will be entering a meditative trance for a few hours Alpha, please alert me if anything requires my attention."

"Will do, Zordon!" Alpha replied cheerfully. Zordon then allowed his mind to drift as his face vanished from the tube. His mind, as it often did at rest, drifted to thoughts of the Power Rangers. He could still hear the screaming at times, the echoing madness and brutality, which had torn his friends from this mortal coil. Try as he might, the nightmares would come this evening. He knew that if thoughts of the Rangers were already entering into his head, he was in for a restless sleep. However he tried to relax himself and allow the time warp's energy to heal him. Had he known how long it would be before he would be allotted time to rest again, he might have enjoyed it more.

...

"FINSTER!" the grating cackling voice rang out, "where are those putty patrollers!?" In his workshop, the timid inventor winced slightly at the severity in that voice. Had only she known the care and delicate intricacies carved into each of his creations, perhaps she would not be so impatient. Every monster, every putty patroller was a work of pure art, crafted from his masterful touch. He was creating the beings that would take a world, beings that would conquer, beings that would destroy. And he was their father, each and every…..

"FINSTER!" the voice rang out again, snapping the inventor from his thoughts as the rage filled visage of Rita Repulsa confidently strode into his workshop.

"Yes, Your Horridness," he replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking and failing," I am finishing up the last one now!" He quickly made the final stylish marking on his last patroller before placing it on the large tray with the others.

"This should have been done ages ago!" she bellowed, her voice attracting the other residents of the palace.

"Finsters in trouble!" rang the mocking sing-song voice of Squatt, the round little spiky blueberry made Finster's nose wrinkle in disgust. As did the bat-like monacled creature who called after him.

"Shut up Squatt, you never help!" Babboo said, smacking his smaller compatriot on the head with a tiny wooden mallet. The two continued bickering while Rita rounded on him.

"Move it, Finster!" she screeched. "I want these putties done NOW!"

Finster did not reply, he was far too terrified. The grand architect of the most fearsome beasts in the universe placed the tray of orange sculpted putties on his vast machine, trying not to drop them as his hands shook in the wake of his empress's righteous anger. He turned a wheel, then another, opening the machine and pushing the clay warriors inside. One flip of a switch later filled the workshop with various tones and whistles, until with a puff of smoke, 25 grey golems poured down through the grey and brass shoot at the end of it. They stood there, muttering and babbling in their incoherent speech patterns. Some had blades for hands, others large round wrecking balls, they were glorious. Finster took a deep breath, awaiting praise from his queen that would surely follow such a creation. He beamed with pride as she smiled wickedly at what he created and he closed his eyes in anticipation.

"Make more," was her only reply, fully deflating Finster's pride at his accomplishment. "GOLDAR!" she screamed, summoning her top lieutenant. He moved slowly, lumbering through his great size, but with the inherent grace of a warrior. There was no sheath for his massive broad sword. He carried it everywhere, always alert, just a fraction of a second from battle at all times. His great black feathered wings unfurled behind him, billowing out like a massive cape of death. His footsteps seemed to vibrate the ground as he walked, the aura he gave off seemed to make him appear slower than he actually was. He stood at attention, the point of his sword pointed downward in submission to his empress. He closed his red eyes and bowed his head.

"It's time," was all Rita Repulsa said in response.

...

The alarm klaxons stirred Alpha from his thoughts instantly, his auditory sensors translating the sound in his hardware to mean danger. He hurried forward to call upon Zordon, still in a meditative trance within the time warp. But Zordon was the Command Center, and he had been alerted to this new threat even before Alpha. His massive translucent head appeared above the shining little robot, the situation already fully accessed. The viewing globe snapped on, and both Zordon and Alpha could see this new threat, grey golems terrorizing the Angel's Grove, soiling their homeland as they attacked the human city. They caused destruction wherever they went and attacked several civilian bystanders unlucky enough or too slow to get out of their way. Then a terrifying creature came into view. It spoke not a word as it fought forward through scores of innocent civilians. Its black simian flesh was encased in a full body coat of golden armor, only it's fearsome face was visible. This winged death seemed to be commanding the grey creatures in their destruction. Zordon knew the base monstrosities would be nothing should their leader be defeated.

The now familiar snap of the tube rising tore Alpha's gaze from the viewing globe. Zordon came into view, looking refreshed and focused, his eyes trained on the golden warrior. He twirled the Staff of El above his head in a complex flourish, Alpha knew that the time spent in the vortex had refreshed Zordon fully. He was ready.

Without a word Zordon was off into the air, a brilliant rush of white streaking across the sky. The land seemed to flow beneath him like rushing water as he sped toward his foe. Within seconds the golden monstrosity was before him and Zordon struck him full on, with all of his speed and momentum. The monster flew back, rolling to a stop before spinning back to its feet. Zordon glared at the creature, blue eyes meeting red over a battlefield. The grey golems had ceased their endless violent toils and turned their attention on this new arrival, forming a tight circle around the two combatants.

"I am Zordon, of Eltar." The creature before him answered only with a low growl. Zordon was not even sure if it was capable of speech. "I am the guardian of this world. Take your soldiers and leave immediately, or be destroyed. The choice is yours." The golden creature merely grunted in response.

"Long live Rita Repulsa!" it screamed, and the two warriors ran forward into battle.


End file.
